Parents of Deceased Robber Mad at Employee Who Shot Him: ‘Why in the hell did this guy have a gun?’

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The parents of Michael Grace Jr. are upset at the employee who shot and killed their son after he attempted to rob a Pizza Hut earlier this Month.

Temia Hairston and Michael Grace Sr. believe that the armed employee had no business using deadly force against their son when he, along with two other suspects, entered the Pizza Hut on Freedom Drive in Charlotte, NC, with the intent to rob the restaurant.

Parents

Temia Hairston and Michael Grace Sr. (Photo: WBTV)

“If there was to be a death, it was not the place of the employee at Pizza Hut. That is the place of law enforcement,” said Hairston in an interview with WBTV.

Hariston said that her son wasn’t going to hurt anyone and had resorted to crime because he fell on hard times and had to provide for his own infant son.

“It was an act of desperation, but I do not believe that Michael would have hurt anyone,” said Hairston.

Hairston and Grace Sr. believe that there’s more to the story than what’s been reported thus far, indicating that the employee that shot Grace Jr. could have had a personal beef with him. Although it wasn’t confirmed, they claim Grace Jr. had worked at that Pizza Hut in the past and had issues with co-workers.

“Why in the hell did this guy have a gun?” asked Hairston with respect to the armed employee.

“This wasn’t a body shot. This was a head shot. My son was shot in the left side of his head just behind his ear. A headshot is personal,” added Hairston.

Police have not yet addressed those accusations, saying in a statement, “The investigation is still ongoing, any new information will be released by Public Affairs.”

mikrjr

Michael Grace Jr. (Photo: WBTV)

Pizza Hut has also released a statement on the matter.

“The local Pizza Hut franchisee is fully cooperating with the Charlotte Police Department as they continue their investigation, but want to stress that the security of its staff is of utmost concern. They are providing support to the team members involved to ensure their health and well-being following this incident. The employee involved in the shooting has been placed on a leave of absence following further review.”

Meanwhile, Hairston and Grace Sr. contend the employee ought to face criminal charges for killing their son.

“Even a criminal has a right to a degree,” said Grace Sr., adding, “I’m not advocating what my son did.”

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  • John Ringo November 28, 2023, 9:21 am

    Maybe she should go look in the mirror and realize that she failed as a parent. The fault is when her son attempted to rob a place of business. Mf got what he deserved end of story. Never blame the victim when they eliminated the threat, What a piece of dung that mother is….

  • A Petite July 28, 2021, 9:44 pm

    If y’all want to make a case for guns for people who may be against guns based off this article, you probably should explicitly state if the deceased who robbed the Pizza Hut did so using a firearm because your article says nothing about him having a gun. If he did have a gun, it would 100% state so.

  • Edna October 14, 2019, 11:32 am

    How the hell do these people feel so entitled? Did the son follow in the parents footsteps? If you go into someplace to rob with a gûn….then you most definitely should expect to die.

  • Dennis October 12, 2019, 8:02 am

    Your son is a piece of crap and got exactly what he deserved. The world is a better place now that he is in the ground.

  • Rich K. October 4, 2019, 8:14 pm

    Gee, maybe if she’d raised her li’l “Mah po’ boy di’n’t do nuffin” brat right in the first place, he wouldn’t have been shot. He’d have a job and be a productive member of society.

  • Dan Martin January 14, 2019, 11:46 am

    A few years ago a robbery at a fried chicken place here in my town ended in all the employees being murdered. Who knows what could have happened had the robber not been shot. If the robber had no intention of harming anyone why did he have a gun? I feel no sympathy for the death of anyone who threatens the life of another person.

  • Greg October 14, 2018, 12:17 pm

    If the parents would acknowledge that their son was bad, and tell others in his situation to get a job, any legal job, to feed your child, I could have more sympathy for them.
    Why do we blame the victims?
    Parents! Make sure your children stay in school and study hard
    STOP having children if you can’t afford to feed and educate them.
    If they fail, love them, but don’t try to justify their actions. Don’t defend stupidity. It breads more stupidity.

  • Jerry October 6, 2017, 10:50 am

    They should put them in jail, cause knowing he was going to rob the pizza hut. Praise for shooting him, saved lives, should of sold gun to get money for son instead. Give the employee a raise. All people should have concelead gun carry.

  • X-Ray March 17, 2017, 4:21 pm

    The mother thinks that the guy has no right to shot her son but ignores that first fact that her son has no right to robbery or to threaten the employees and customers. What should a threatened person do, sit down with the prep, see if he is stressed out or has poor life choices? What nonsense.

  • KUETSA December 6, 2016, 7:35 am

    “Why did this guy have a gun?”
    For good reasons, for honorable reasons, in case some high thug came in brandishing a gun threatening people with death for evil reasons, for self defense, for the defense of other innocent people.
    WHY DID YOUR SON HAVE A GUN?
    For evil reasons, to threaten and terrorize innocent people.
    GOOD WON THIS TIME!
    The defective mentality that wishes innocent people need be helpless victims to predators while waiting for police – for the (in this case) safety of the predator – risking the well being of the innocent on the whim of the predator – is one of the biggest problems we face in this country.
    A head shot insures no return fire.
    Sorry lady, no one wants to take a chance with their lives that your predator son is in good enough mood to not kill while robbing from behind a gun.

  • Radman01 December 5, 2016, 8:12 pm

    These “parents” need to blow it out their ass — their thug son was up to no good and got what he deserved. I can’t believe these idiots are trying to turn this narrative around.

  • David November 24, 2016, 11:04 am

    I had to qualify twice a year, half a day in a classroom, the other half on the line. Most any qualifying instructor will advise NOT to take head shots, except in a very limited situations. A head is a rather small target, it’s round leading to a lot of deflected rounds, and not every head shot will strike a lethal area. So was this employee trained, probably not, center mass is the chosen target most of the time. I’d venture this employee was scared s&*tless, I would be. We live with certain assumptions, Some natural, some legal. Saving ones life is, with the exception of protecting a child, one of the primary assumptions to defend yourself, I had to bet the employee simply fired at what was a moving target, and hit his head, more or less by accident. But what does it matter! He has a right to defend himself. Police don’t shot to kill, they shot to STOP! this shooter would probably just want to stop he, or his co-workers from being injured or killed. On the other hand the robber takes certain risks, knowingly. Being captured, or dying in the perpetuation of his act. The first of the grieving process is denial, next look for a cause, beginning to understand what and why this beloved one was taking a dirt nap. So I discount everything their comments they now make are not thought out, and inaccurate to the nth decree. I need not repeat the valid comments already made. Few, other then perhaps an unlimited leftest who values aggressors over their victims. Still who will be surprised to see “Reverent Sharpton” leading some sort of march for, well for whatever.

  • James Rice November 23, 2016, 8:59 pm

    Criminals and their parents are evil. The robber had a gun and the employee had the right to save his life. The parents need to be sued for slander. The “culture” actually accepts violent crime as normal, hate to tell them but it ain’t so.

  • j November 23, 2016, 7:06 am

    wow… what a dumb bitch.

  • jim November 20, 2016, 5:05 pm

    I take it that the person who shot the robber was a person of color also. If not, this would be a story of a violent racist act.
    I’m not a racist. I don’t hate people for the color of their skin. Nor do I believe that the majority of the population does either.
    But if people of color would stop doing stupid shit, maybe they would begin to lose the stigma they feel is imposed on them.
    The parents of the robber are ridiculous. What did they expect would happen. Your dumb shit son commited armed robbery. They cannot blame a depressed economy anymore. Their son should have been a responsible and contributing member of society. He should have got a job to support his family like most citizens instead of being a lazy thug. They should accept the fact that their son was in the wrong.
    If their son would have been on the other end of the pistol, they would be saying the killing was justice served and their son should not be prosecuted.
    I would be saying the same thing if a white man was shot by a black man.

  • john November 17, 2016, 10:56 pm

    When you come in to a store showing a gun, saying you have a gun, etc…and say “give me your money”, you know what that says to me? That says,,,,either you give me money or I am going to kill you,,,,,Anybody who thinks otherwise is a fool. I am not going to risk my life and “hope” he is a good boy!!!! He is threatening to kill every person in the room. And by the way threatening to kill everybody is about as “PERSONAL” as it gets,, so don’t feed me B.S. about “head shot is personal”. The person who defended himself saved his own life and saved everyone else’s life in the room against a robber threatening to kill, without harming innocent bystanders and putting an end to the threat. Maybe the next robber who sees this will choose to use a different way to make money, rather than a way that risks everyone’s lives including his own.

    • Thomas November 20, 2016, 8:07 am

      Right on. The scumbag got what he deserved and his parents failed to raise him to not be a scumbag thief. Teach him to get a job but of course parents are probably on welfare anyway.

  • Ira November 17, 2016, 7:33 pm

    when you walk into s place intent on robbing it the employees have a right to defend themselves.. It that means one of the tobbers gets shot n killed on the process to freSkin bad.. It was self defense..

  • Glenn61 November 16, 2016, 4:53 am

    I’S A SHAME, TRULY SAD,,,that the Pizza Hut employees couldn’t capture him and torture him first, then blow his brains out.

    • wRecKaGe November 16, 2016, 10:42 pm

      This sort of comment is uncalled for and not in the least bit helpful. All it does is paint law abiding gun owners as lunatics. Nobody deserves to be tortured and then murdered in cold blood. Of course the employee had every right to defend himself and his co-workers from this armed felon. From all we’ve heard about this story, based on the information available it was a righteous shoot, as pure a case of self defense and/or the defense of others that I can imagine. The really bad part of all of this is that the young man who risked his own life in facing an armed criminal is that he will most likely be fired by Pizza Hut for carrying a weapon while on the job. I delivered pizzas three different times as a younger man and I always carried, long before the CCW was a thing. This was of course absolutely against company policy and I would have been fired on the spot if it were ever known. I carried because pizza delivery drivers are often the target of armed thieves. They carry cash, and while it isn’t supposed to be a lot that definition is different for a lot of people. Thankfully I never so much as had a punch thrown my way, let alone a bullet. These days I know much more than I did during those years, and I now carry every day, every time I leave the home, and I have four loaded firearms within reach inside my home. I am not paranoid, nor am I hoping to ever have to take another’s life, but I am prepared and trained to do so if the need arises.

      We have the right to defend ourselves as human beings, not because the 2nd Amendment says we do but because we are human beings with the same right to life as any other. To lower ourselves to the idea of tying up a criminal and torturing them before executing them is beneath us. That is not self defense by any measure of the term. I strongly urge you and any who support your statement to take a long hard look at themselves and why it is they feel that this is, in any case, okay. Self defense is a responsibility and if we wish to retain our legal right to it under the laws of this nation we must do so with all the restraint possible in such a situation. The taking of another human life should always be the last option we choose whenever we are faced with a situation such as this young man was. He chose correctly in my personal opinion. If faced with a unknown quantity such as stranger with a firearm attempting to rob myself and my place of business, and not knowing if he intends to leave any witnesses to his crime, one which would land him behind bars for the majority of his life even if he did not fire his weapon, I would have made the same choice as did this Pizza Hut employee.

      I do feel sorry for the loss the felons parents are experiencing, no parent should have to bury their own child, but their son made a choice that day to walk into a business and threaten people with a gun. If he had even half a bit of intelligence he knew exactly what could happen as a result. He made his choice and went forward with his crime and he paid the ultimate price for his actions. This idea that his parents would sue the man who shot him, and possibly also Pizza Hut as a corporation, is simply ludicrous. No jury in the world will find in their favor. They will be left holding the bag for huge attorney bills and get nothing in return but more heartache. No money can replace their son. They will have to live with his loss for the rest of their lives, and the knowledge that it was his own choices that cost him his life. His death is no one’s responsibility other than his own.

      • 2Bornot2B2A November 20, 2016, 9:13 pm

        A great post to an otherwise demeaning post, Glenn61

    • T-Man November 27, 2016, 3:13 pm

      I think Glenn61 is just being colorful in expressing the frustration a lot of people have regarding how armed criminals seldom receive their deserved justice.

  • JM Kline November 14, 2016, 10:22 pm

    A majority of people who commit a crime, believe they will be successful. Most times they come armed. Based on that, who in their right mind is going to make a positive judgmental call and decide he probably isn’t going to hurt me. He wouldn’t do that. He’s just trying to support his infant. Truthfully, I would warn that I will shoot with gun pointing and his succeeding actions will determine HIS final ending. What do they say? Shoot first, ask questions later? I must admit though that it upsets me that we are returning to the Wild West days. There has to be a meeting point somehow. Very scary dYs ahead and these protests are NOT helping.

    • Mary November 16, 2016, 11:54 am

      I have my concealed permit and have taken classes on gun safety and use. If you point your gun at someone be prepared to shoot. I’m not going to give you a warning!!! It’s kill or be killed!!!

    • jim November 20, 2016, 3:09 pm

      I couldn’t agree more. The comment to torture the man is a bit extreme. I do however, feel that a person should known the risks they are taking and have enough forethought before they plan to move forward with this type of crime. I feel sorry for the family of the deceased robber. They are the ones left to suffer the loss. But to want to start a lawsuit is ridiculous.
      It’s just a shame that it isn’t more commonplace for the perpetrators of violent crime to be met with this type of end. Maybe this country would have less crime if the criminals knew that there was a great likelihood of of their demise.
      I have a CPL. Like most of us, I truly hope I never have to use my weapon. But, if someone threatens my loved ones or myself, you better believe I will defend. You reap what you sew. I say a bullet in the head was a perfect example of the punishment fitting the crime.

      • 2Bornot2B2A November 20, 2016, 9:37 pm

        The article mentioned that the mother “thought” her sons shooting may be intentional because her son worked there and had issues with other employees of the Pizza Hut. So how does the employee that shot this man know for sure it was just to be a robbery? Maybe it could have been in the guise of a robbery with the real intent to shoot the employee/employees he had issue with, just saying. Waving a gun will get you one of two things. Shot at or shot at and killed.

  • Meat-Lovers November 14, 2016, 8:57 pm

    “{shooting someone:] That is the place of law enforcement,” We can riot and loot and get a call from the President if law enforcement shoots an armed criminal, but no BLMers show up for a pizza guy.

  • Doc Rocks November 14, 2016, 12:48 pm

    He was a violent FELONY the minute he robbed the store with a gun. I commend the man with the gun that protected himself and his co-workers. You point a gun at others committing a crime and you get what you send. Your a-s shot, the criminal made the decision when he used a gun and he got smoked. Sorry for the family, but he got what he asked for.

  • Aardvark November 13, 2016, 4:46 pm

    One last comment: I’m assuming the robber had a gun, but the writer of this article left that little detail out.

    • Frank November 14, 2016, 11:36 am

      Yes he did have a gun! I live near Charlotte and the inner city is full of black neighborhoods and the gang bangers run rampant there and almost daily there are news reports of blacks shooting other blacks in the city. The recent riots over a black cop shooting another black man as he was backing towards the cops with a stolen gun in his hand and refusing orders to drop it sparked riots incited by professional rioters bused into the city by anarchist bent on causing chaos as they are now after a duly conducted election that caused good law abiding people fed up with this mess to turn out and vote for an establishment outsider who is going to put a stop to the nonsense! I never venture into my birth place city of Charlotte these days without being armed with my primary .357 magnum carry revolver and a .380 back up gun in an ankle holster! All this hoopla may die down sometime but in the meantime stay vigilant!

      • A Petite July 28, 2021, 9:29 pm

        How do you know the deceased had a gun? Because there have been race motivated riots in Charlotte? I know people who live in Charlotte who are not gun owners and don’t carry guns. Some are journalists who seek out the riots. This article never states the deceased had a gun and you never gave any evidence that he did.

        • A Petite July 28, 2021, 9:39 pm

          I see I’m on gunsamerica and am probably going to get eaten alive, but I’m an English major who delivers food and live near Charlotte and was searching for a specific robbery but found this one. Unless it says the robber was armed, as someone with a bachelors in English, you can’t assume they were. In fact, you should assume they weren’t. Either way, these parents are dumbasses because they raised a thief then want to sue but they will probably win because you can’t carry firearms on the clock of these pizza jobs.

    • Frank November 14, 2016, 11:50 am

      Ms. Hairston, What a ridiculous question to ask “why did the employee have a gun, it’s the cops responsibility?” The same reason all fast food and convenience store employees and everyone law abiding citizen SHOULD CARRY GUNS! When seconds count the cops are just minutes away! Maybe if you had a father in the home to help raise your thug son and taught him some morals and a work ethic he would be alive today? If you threaten another persons life you better be prepared to die!!!

      • Judotoss November 17, 2016, 12:00 pm

        I agree! The parents of the SUSPECT are far more responsible for his death than the person who shot him. If he can’t feed his infant (their grandchild), then they should have helped him. Now, what they are saying is that when you can’t provide for yourself or your family, you should just rob others at gun point. This is exactly the problem, they couldn’t teach their child about responsibility because they have no concept of it.

  • Aardvark November 13, 2016, 4:43 pm

    “If there was to be a death, it was not the place of the employee at Pizza Hut. That is the place of law enforcement,” said Hairston
    If this guy had killed the employee instead, they would still be saying he was just desperate, not bad. If the police had shot him, they would be crying racism and inciting more violence against police. If he was just desperate, why didn’t he go to his concerned parents for help? And as for “Why the hell did this guy have a gun?” Because he is entitled to defend himself and others from thugs like your son, according to our Constitution!

  • David Ellis November 13, 2016, 9:18 am

    WAS HER SON RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS ACTIONS

    • Lee Zimm November 13, 2016, 5:33 pm

      no more George Zimmerman ! Travon Martin, was also a drug pushing criminal from Miami that his mother could not control and was sent to Sanford to be with his dad. He had six-day gold teeth which causes at least to $3000 a piece. Where it is a young man at 17 get that much money? Selling drugs! This young man got exactly what he deserved he made out of harms this person but the next time around him I be some old lady. If you want to be a criminal must except there punishment. The parents don’t like it because they did not raise him correctly, everybody wants to blame somebody else.

    • mark November 13, 2016, 9:54 pm

      An armed society is a polite society! Robbing someone is a very, very rude thing to do.

    • kjgffkjkjf November 14, 2016, 9:24 pm

      yes

  • Jonny5 November 13, 2016, 1:59 am

    Head shot, eh!? Hope none of it ended up in the salad bar…

    One less loser out and about.

    • Spanky November 13, 2016, 7:32 am

      That’s what the “Sneeze Guard” is for!

      • Notso November 14, 2016, 5:31 pm

        Maybe they should change its name to “Brain Splatter Guard”.

  • Bob Goodson November 12, 2016, 10:45 pm

    First, I’d like to say I understand why the parents are hurt and upset, their parents. However, I feel the employee had a right to defend himself and fellow employees as well as any customers . If the parents want to blame anyone they should consider history. In the past even if a person gives the money ,it doesn’t guarantee the robber would not shoot . Either way the Robbed suffers twice. Besides , had the police shot their son, they’d just been mad at the police. They have to face the fact, their son placed himself there as a criminal, a predator .

    • BobbiW November 13, 2016, 2:45 pm

      If he intended to rob Pizza Hut, the employee had every right to shoot him. The employee did not know his intentions, nor did the parents of this young man. If they sue, they SHOULD NOT get a dime. Whatever his circumstances, robbery is a crime and if you don’t want to get shot or go to jail – don’t do the crime. There are lots of people and organizations that could have helped him without his turning to robbery. No sympathy here.

      • Frank November 14, 2016, 11:55 am

        If they sue they should lose and be forced to pay the legal defense fees and missed wages incurred by the Pizza Hut employee protecting his and his fellow employees lives!

  • Ken November 12, 2016, 6:43 pm

    Guess you voted for Clinton and Obama too. The time losers, that is if you still had the right to vote. He got exactly what he deserved. Maybe you should have helped him out before he resorted to crime. Worthless parents breed worthless criminal kids. Put the blame where it belongs, on yourselves and your criminal son.

    • Notso November 14, 2016, 5:34 pm

      I couldn’t agree more.

  • John conner November 12, 2016, 5:42 pm

    Good I’m happy that an employee had a gun. I would have done the same thing. His parents sound so ignorant that it really kills me. For the news to even broadcast want the parents said shows how they feel and that they want to fuel this hate in society by showing false information.

  • Doc A November 12, 2016, 1:33 pm

    “If there was to be a death, it was not the place of the employee at Pizza Hut. That is the place of law enforcement,” said Hairston

    Does anyone find it ironic that a black person would say something like this?

  • Eric Holder November 12, 2016, 1:28 pm

    Yes I agree. It is normally Police killing blacks so you would have preferred that as is “usual” that Police have shot him. Actually though I believe that whether the Pizza Hut employee shot him or if the Police shot him the end result would have probably be that he would have been killed during the commission of a Felony. I really am not sure I understand your logic but maybe you are saying it is less likely that he would have died because the Police only hit their intended target about 10 percent of the time?
    I wonder if you have any concern over maybe other patrons at the Pizza Hut? I think the fact that a firearm was discharged in an open business where families go to get pizza may not be such a good thing? I mean there could be black children in there buying or eating pizza, OR white kids OR Hispanic kids OR old ladies OR old men like me. Yes I think your sons actions causing an employee to use deadly force is not a good thing for anyone. Beyond my sarcastic comments I am sorry for your loss, sincerely.

  • don comfort November 12, 2016, 12:28 pm

    Hey A** Hole, check out N.C.. laws on deadly force and self defense.You ask why he had a gun? So when turds like your son
    try to rob him,he can LEGALLY defend himself. The times,they are a changing ! No longer will being black justify committing ILLEGAL acts. Why did you help him out if he was so desperate for money ??

    • BobbiW November 13, 2016, 2:50 pm

      I totally agree. If the parents knew he was having a “hard time” why didn’t they help him or send him to an organization that could? They cannot say what his state of mind was when he attempted the robbery – they didn’t know – and neither did the employee. The shooting was justified and if anyone is to blame, it’s the robber himself and maybe, just maybe, the parents should accept some responsibility.

  • Mott November 12, 2016, 10:39 am

    “It was an act of desperation, but I do not believe that Michael would have hurt anyone,” Yeah, Right, I have a bridge in New York I will sell you too. You raised a thug and he got what was coming, He WOULD have use the weapon he had.

  • mike November 12, 2016, 10:27 am

    This is CLEARLY a product of what Obama and the Dems have built the past 8 years…. these lousy monkey nigs have this entitlement mentality that they can do ANYTHING they want and get away with it just because they have a nig buddy in the WHITEhouse…. well that is over… now its back to WHITE AMERICA.. and WHITE AMERICA runs this country… the laws will now be ENFORCED…. nigs back to jail… all pardons revoked…. hopefully we revoke every nig right back to Lincoln… deport all of them…

  • mike November 12, 2016, 10:23 am

    What is the policy of an employee with a gun? What???? Charles Manson had a mother who said the same.. my chuckle would never hurt anyone…. a head shot is personal??? HA! clearly a pair of criminals themselves……

  • Acecool November 12, 2016, 10:22 am

    A “headshot” may not be personal… The citizen defending his life and those around him may not have had a clear shot ( know your target and what is beyond ) any other way without endangering the lives of innocent bystanders. While the best method of inflicting lethal force is center mass, it isn’t always available to use as the target because of what may lay beyond… We don’t know the entire story and all we know is that this idiot was carrying a gun in an “act of desperation”, meaning more than capable of taking a life, to rob a pizza hut where he may have worked in the past ( meaning it may have been personal for the robber who was killed )…

  • mike November 12, 2016, 10:20 am

    Wow! THIS is why whites can NOT live with nigs. This country needs to put a fence around Detroit and move every nig in the country there. Let them all live together killing and robbing each other…. yup…. their little ANGEL puts the lives of customers and employees in danger, gets what he deserved, and its the HERO’S fault? What? Wait for the police? Let the POLICE take care of it? Hey you stupid nigs, the police were not there. NOT THERE. ALL of you nigs should get a one way ticket on the obabama bus back to AFRICA…. forget Detroit… AMERICA will pass for you ticket….

  • Ray November 12, 2016, 9:45 am

    I can only hope, under similar circumstances, I’d be quick enough to shoot the bastard myself before he used his gun in a restaurant.

  • Steve November 12, 2016, 8:52 am

    Shame on the news coverage spin….just sad they hope we all buy it.

  • Simon November 12, 2016, 3:58 am

    A product of dumb parents having even dumber offspring. Blame every one except themselves. So what’s next if robbers should have certain rights? Rapist? Pedofiles? Muderers? Then let’s get rid of jails and law enforcement and let criminals roam freely. The parents of the robbers should compensate the victim of all psychological damages because it was their son that put the shooter in that position.

    • doug November 12, 2016, 9:25 am

      agreed…..at least the stupid blood line has been severed

  • Dan Martin November 12, 2016, 3:53 am

    She asked why the Pizza Hut employee had a gun…it was quite simple, to protect himself and others from people like her son!

  • Fred Ziffle November 11, 2016, 10:59 pm

    After reading the dead thug’s parents’ asinine comments and wondering how anyone could think as they do, the thing that keep coming to mind was “THIS is what Obama built.”

    • Batman November 12, 2016, 1:50 pm

      Agreed. But fear not, America will be great again. This perp is a example of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. The moral compass of America will once again face True North .

  • Amsterdave November 11, 2016, 10:42 pm

    Play stupid games…. win stupid prizes!!!

  • Butch November 11, 2016, 10:16 pm

    Employee of the month honor him for having a job and a gun the ability to use it we should give him tax free income for life because we don’t have to feed and house this clown .

  • Tommie Thompson November 11, 2016, 9:38 pm

    This is the typical attitude of criminal family members today. The only thing that surprised me about this interview was that they admitted he was there to rob the place and that he had a gun, but he wasn’t going to hurt anybody! Right! Then she goes on to say that he used to work there. I see, so, he’s known by some of the employees, who could tell the police exactly who it was that robbed the place, but he wasn’t going to actually use the gun! Is she really that naive!

  • Phred November 11, 2016, 8:40 pm

    Not his first crime. That’s assured. He voluntarily put his life on the line when committing a crime. He lost. My sympathies to his family but I doubt that they would share the same sentiments for someone done harm by him while pursuing criminal behavior.

  • Gonzo November 11, 2016, 8:33 pm

    Chris Farley says it all.
    ttps://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVvAscCZY4HAAKs4nnIlQ?p=chris+folly+comedian+laughing&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.foodworldnews.com%2Fdata%2Fimages%2Ffull%2F18020%2Fchris-farley-death.png&action=click

  • Jerry Smith November 11, 2016, 8:05 pm

    Here are your answers. Why did he have a gun? He had a gun to protect himself from lowlife thieves like your son. Why did he shoot your armed robber son in the head? Because he didn’t want to be murdered by your thieving son. Now I have a question. Why did this POS “news” station stick a camera in that excuse making, miserable excuse for a mother’s face in the 1st place? That cow should try asking herself why she didn’t raise her son better.

  • loupgarous November 11, 2016, 6:55 pm

    This was pretty much a cut-and-paste from the text portion of an article from the website of the local CBS television station.

    The text in that article leaves out the crucial fact given in an earlier story from the same CBS station that Grace’s family failed to mention – their son carried a gun into that Pizza Hut. That made him an entirely legal and moral target of a deadly shooting by anyone the second he used it to try to rob that restaurant.

    I’ve lost a son, too. He died in the armed service of the United States of America. The venal, hypocritical remarks of Grace’s parents is nothing more nor less than asserting their son’s right to life after threatening other people with a gun. That deserves absolutely nothing but contempt.

    • mtman2 November 12, 2016, 10:21 am

      Thanks- I saw no memtion of weapons used in the robbery(strangely) so perused the posts to see if it was brought up to make a judgement.
      Certainly if they used a firearm in the robbery and esp if one of’em knew an employee and had troubles with them- shooting that employee would have covered their tracks- so by shooting the guy with the gun first that stopped that outcomes gamble.Basically and sadly no choice….
      Sorry you lost your son and for his honorable service to us all ~!

  • Kevin Curl November 11, 2016, 6:43 pm

    It kills me when parents of dead criminal complain that their son or daughter dies like one . Your to blame for the thug you raised . Good riddens , just saved Americans tax dollars in form of another source of gov’t welfare the prison system and the good possibility his children would end up learning the criminal ways end up being just like parents !

  • mike ehrig November 11, 2016, 5:53 pm

    too bad you never taught your son about robbing and stealing. the weapons value is in preventing loss of life and or property. id say the weapon performed as expected.

  • trip3 November 11, 2016, 5:32 pm

    Give the Pizza Hut employee a raise and a box of shells.

    • d.j. November 17, 2016, 8:36 pm

      Thats the least that they should do.

  • r reynolds November 11, 2016, 4:52 pm

    Someone should have told Grace that wearing the American Flag as clothing is disrespectful to the flag. Guess it does not matter now.

    • Jorge November 11, 2016, 5:06 pm

      ‘reynolds’, what part of the South Pole do you live?! WHERE does it say that wearing material designed as our American Flag is disrespectful you moron?! I have shorts, t-shirts and an expensive polo shirt all adorned with the Stars & Stripes, each purchased from major retailers! Get a life, or at least a brain!!

      • RetNavet November 11, 2016, 5:56 pm

        Tell you what Whore-hey….I catch you half-steppin’ across my rice paddy with your disrespectful attitude, wearing your “stars&stripes polo shirt” I will tear your ass up and when you wake up from that, it will be next Tuesday.

      • R. Ogden November 11, 2016, 6:13 pm

        The United States Flag Code:
        Federal Law Relating to Display says “The flag should not be used as “wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery”,

      • Larry Brickey November 11, 2016, 6:23 pm

        You should practice replying without insults. It makes you look stupid.

      • loupgarous November 11, 2016, 7:05 pm

        4 U.S. Code § 3 – Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag says, in part:

        “Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. ”

        This law’s not enforced ever since a Supreme Court decision has struck much of the Flag Code down in the 1990s (under the First Amendment protections of freedom of expression), but neither has that law been repealed.

      • Joe November 11, 2016, 7:18 pm

        Its sort of written in the flag code: “The flag should not be used as “wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery”, or for covering a speaker’s desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general (exception for coffins). Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.” But I think they mean literally wearing a flag like Olympic games winners do; which I always found dumb

      • Loring November 11, 2016, 9:55 pm

        You might want to check this out.
        http://www.military.com/flag-day/flag-ettiquette-dos-and-donts.html
        Is everyone that disagrees with your worldview a moron?
        I don’t have a problem with a flag on clothing, except when the whole garment is the flag.
        I have a deep respect for our flag and try not to dishonor it. If the makes me a moron, so be it!
        I’m guessing you would also call me deplorable, if you get my drift.

      • B November 11, 2016, 10:44 pm

        In the flag code. Learn to read and how to use the internet.

      • Veritas November 12, 2016, 1:41 am

        Your intelligence Jorge, as well as your taste, is evident from your comments. Now tell us about your flag undies.

      • loupgarous November 12, 2016, 2:04 pm

        Let’s not be too rough on Jorge. He’s right unless he lives in the District of Columbia, where the Flag Code is limited in its applications. But the various states have also passed laws banning flag desecration to one extent or another. I don’t know why the flag code’s limited to the people in DC, but it is. Jorge’s right regarding the law. I personally reverence the flag more than that, and it seems most of us commenting here do, too, but Jorge’s got the legal right to buy and wear that stuff. He doesn’t have the moral right to call folks morons for being mistaken on a vexed point of law.

        Jorge, lighten up. It’s very easy to misread the Flag Code, I did it last night when I posted its text from the Cornell University Law Library Web site, and my IQ is 130. And even before then, as a former police officer I knew that the Supreme Court has ruled the Flag Code and all other laws, local, state or Federal, banning irreverence toward the Flag of the United States to be unenforceable under the First Amendment protection of freedom of expression.

    • Rex November 11, 2016, 10:26 pm

      Completely untrue. Wearing an actual flag is against the U.S. Flag Code: The flag should not be used as “wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery”, or for covering a speaker’s desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general (exception for coffins).

      It is acceptable to wear clothing that is a facsimile of the flag. I’m a professional musician and wear a “flag” shirt when performing my patriotic program.

  • Gunny November 11, 2016, 4:41 pm

    Why did the employee have a gun? Because of stupid shits like your son who rob and steal from people who work for a living! Found himself on hard times? Did he consider getting a job? Did his family offer to help him? Sounds as if you are looking to sue someone. Get real. Sorry for your loss but no loss for the gene pool!

    • Bill in Lexington,NC November 11, 2016, 8:58 pm

      Sounds like that very Pizza Hut had employed him. So why wasn’t he working there still?

    • Bill in Lexington,NC November 11, 2016, 9:14 pm

      Glad the employee was able to make the “personal” head shot. That is, generally speaking, the only shot certain to end aggression without harm to others. The accomplices are now looking at a murder charge, in addition to the robbery issue.

      Whether the son presented a weapon or not (the story does not say he was armed) makes little difference. It is safe to presume from the presence of two accomplices, that he was willing to attempt violence. Unless there is something seriously awry with this story as reported, I think it likely that the police / prosecutor will conclude that the use of lethal force was justified.

      Odd that his mom would have been okay with a body shot to, perhaps, the heart or lungs, that would have still resulted in death … but slower, and far more painfully. Multiple shots to the groin would have been an interesting twist of events … the son would have lived just long enough to rack up a huge hospital bill.

      Put that up to “distraught parent with a microphone in her face”.

  • Robert Conroy November 11, 2016, 4:05 pm

    Perhaps if these parents where so concerned, they would have helped their son and keep him from committing crimes. They seems to think, that if no one gets hurts, then he should be able to rob folks. It doesn’t work that way. Do you think this is a 3rd world nation, where folks are going be be frightened and not stand up for their liberties? Think again!!!

  • Jim November 11, 2016, 3:37 pm

    And guess who now is more than likely going to be responsible for raising Thug, Jr’s son, Thug, III? Probably grandma and grandpa. And what are the chances that they will have learned from their own mistakes? Will they take responsibility for their piss poor parenting skills, correct their errors, and raise him as a responsible adult with the knowledge that he must go to church, get an education, get a job, and support his family legally and with pride? Or, will the legacy continue so that in 16 to 18 years grandma is on the news again wondering why her grandson was killed by grandpa when he broke in to their home because they were elderly and stupid and had money or medications he wanted to take because they were easy prey living in a gun free home.

    • loupgarous November 11, 2016, 7:12 pm

      You’re right. Grace’s parents didn’t take away the main lesson from the teachable moment of their son’s death – they failed him first and worst, and will likely raise that child to believe his father was right to rob someone else at gunpoint. God save us from such people, but our President set the evil precedent they follow by forcing Florida to prosecute George Zimmerman for defending himself from the man who beat him and was trying to crack his head against a concrete curb because “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” That should have been Obama’s impeachable moment, but our national press was too busy cheering his malfeasance as they did all the other times Barack Obama acted as an elected king, not as the president of the entire United States of America. One of many things costing the Democrats this election..

  • Nightshifter999 November 11, 2016, 3:21 pm

    Ok; the parents say they don’t think he would hurt anyone and then state that he was desperate. If the three men were there to rob the place they are lucky all three didn’t get shot! I do feel for this mans parents; I can’t imagine losing a child; but thinking he didn’t deserve what he got. Why would anyone try to rob a place they had worked at! Even if they had got away, the cops would already be looking for him. Like the article said; they knew it was a gun free work place, but they were wrong. Even if the worker didn’t have a gun; that wouldn’t have stopped anyone else in the restaurant from shooting him! Don’t try to push the blame off on the employee, he may have actually saved lives!

  • Terry Grossmann November 11, 2016, 2:53 pm

    I am so tired of some people believing they have a right,or their family member, has a right to commit a crime without having to face the consequences. How about your son kept his pants up or using birth control to prevent having a kid he couldn’t support? What about the rights of the victims your son and his buddies chose to ignore. Once agin, it isn’t rocket science, you don’t want to take the chance of being shot then don’t commit crimes. If you are dumb enough to commit a crime, then you better accept all the possible consequences including getting your worthless butt shot.

  • Paul Revere November 11, 2016, 2:28 pm

    This is nothing more than black culture that has been coddled to think that they are special citizens while simultaneously making them addicted to victimhood.
    The Press are really the guilty ones in this exchange, presuming to give a legitimate voice to utter nonsense without ever offering an unbiased commentary by pointing out the complete absurdity of their position.And…this is why the mainstream media has a 6% approval rating.

    • Phred November 11, 2016, 8:43 pm

      Bravo !

  • JERRY November 11, 2016, 2:19 pm

    SO ARE THESE PEOPLE OUT PROTESTING AND BURNING SINCE OUR NE PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED

  • sue November 11, 2016, 2:18 pm

    Well momma if you ask me you should STFU! Maybe if you taught your little hood some respect for others and the law he would not have been trying to rob the restaurant. No one says here, was your son sporting a weapon? Why do I think he probably was. Your son had no business in there after hours, the person that shot him had a right to be in fear and where do you get that a “head shot is personal” maam anyone serious about self defense is taught that a body shot is not necessarily going to take down your assailant. Which is especially true if the perp might be hopped up on some sort of illegal drug and defintely true if they are using something like PCP which tends to block pain receptors if the person is having a really bad trip. The fact the person defending themselves managed a head shot is simply a testament to their skill, whether your son was known to them or not he/she had a right to defend themselves against your little sociopathic darling who apparently thought it was ok to walk into a business and try to walk out with the cash receipts for the day instead of getting an honest job or better yet NOT FREAKING MAKING CHILDREN YOU CANNOT PAY FOR!!! HOW ABOUT THAT ONE!!! WHY IS IT SO BAD TO HAVE TO SPEND A MINUTE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU’LL SUPPORT A FAMILY BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO GET ONE!!! You sound like you went to school momma and you have more than one brain cell in your head but at this very moment i think you’re cogitating how your family can get some money out of this situation more than anything else. Even if it is against the employer policy for employees to have weapons on company property it’s the employees right to defend themselves against those in this world that apparently feel the rules don’t apply to them no matter what color their skin is or what part of the world they come from. Wrong doing is blind, it’s got nothing to do with your genetic makeup and everything to do with what you are taught at home and the level of personal responsibility that you have along with your own self esteem or lack thereof. Momma if you were smart you’d stop your crap now and apologize to the guy who was forced to shoot your son. Whether you believe it or not taking a life is not an easy thing for most of us, I would like to think that if it came down to me or my attacker I’d blow their brains out first but you never know how you will react until you’re actually in the situation. I’m sorry for your loss maam but in my mind you have nothing to say about it except that you’re sorry that you raised a little hoodlum that forced someone to live with memories of the moment they had to take a life in self defense for the rest of their lives.

    • SGT-N November 11, 2016, 4:53 pm

      Amen brother. Criminal son can carry, but victim can’t? Pure BS!

      PS: In my state, neither a criminal nor the family may bring a lawsuit for injuries or death that flows from criminal conduct. This law should be the law of the land, but Ditzycrats equate “persons of color” with being a victim of racism. Ditzycrats didn’t understand that their position is racist in and of itself!

    • Frank November 14, 2016, 11:59 am

      He was carrying a weapon! The day the story broke WBTV reported it as an attempted armed robbery! I saw the news cast.

  • Cam November 11, 2016, 2:16 pm

    All you got to do is read the article and you’ll see why the guy thought he had the right to rob someone this is 90 percent the parents fault my parents would say I got what I deserved had that been me

  • Jim November 11, 2016, 2:00 pm

    All criminals need to see this more often and to give pause whether it is a good idea to rob a person/establishment and take the risk of ending up like this “Had been criminal”. Ha!

  • John November 11, 2016, 1:58 pm

    Their kid, had a kid, and was down on hard times?!? And that is why he was doing what they themselves say is wrong…
    Got a question…WHERE WERE YOU???
    What Grandparent on here would EVER let their grandchild suffer without helping? (Let alone their kid)
    So these two think only the shooter was responsible for their kids death!??
    I guess they are right…when your dead, you don’t know your dead, everyone else suffers…
    Same thing when your stupid…

  • Dave November 11, 2016, 1:57 pm

    “At the hands of a Pizza Hut employee no less” this news station is so idiotic too say that. The thug was robbing the place , good for the Pizza Hut employee to stand up for everyone that wouldn’t , that waste of space deserved what he got and his mama should get slapped for being so ignorant , just another scumbag we don’t have to support.

  • Terry J Zaffuto November 11, 2016, 1:37 pm

    I think this article should not be here. Listening to these people is an insult to true working class people. If you want to do a story about how ignorant these peoples attitude is then so be it. pointing out there moronic idea that a person should be allowed to arm rob someone is absurd, but A typical of the libtard mentality

    • SGT-N November 11, 2016, 4:55 pm

      I agree wholeheartedly.

    • loupgarous November 11, 2016, 7:28 pm

      I disagree, GunsAmerica is about guns and our Constitutional right to carry them in our own defense. The employee in that Pizza Hut who shot an armed robber (nice head shot, I might have been tempted to go for center mass) was exercising his right to defend himself with a weapon the Constitution entitled him to carry.

      This is an article that definitely belongs in GunsAmerica because it goes to the hypocritical attitude among people in this country that when their kids are shot hurting others, it’s a bad thing, but their kids were somehow entitled to draw guns on others, hurt others, kill others without paying the price. It also shows the press bias (the text from the original article is reproduced above that hides the fact that the man was shot with a gun in his hand) responsible for the notion that we ought to punish law-abiding Americans first and worse, and law-breakers not at all.

      Obama has spent the final months of his term pardoning Federal prisoners there for breaking the very gun laws he fought to get more of – because, apparently, if a criminal could have been his son, that criminal deserves to not be shot while beating someone, and not be jailed for breaking a gun control law. Gun control during the Obama administration is a case of “let’s disarm the people who we don’t like.” This article shows us a case of people who think that way.

  • Larry November 11, 2016, 1:19 pm

    I hope we hear if & when Pizza Hut fires their employee for protecting himself while at work. If this happens, we all need to boycott Pizza Hut & also contribute to the employee’s legal fund & strongly advocate that he sue Pizza Hut for attempting to violate his civil rights to defend himself & others thru the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.
    As for the other situation, the employee needs to be commended for taking out the trash.

    • Nightshifter999 November 11, 2016, 3:26 pm

      I was thinking the same thing! I hope the CEO’s at Yum Corp. have just a little sense and give this employee an award! Guns America, keep us informed on this!

  • Donald Hoyle November 11, 2016, 12:58 pm

    There is so much ignorance in this article that Its hard to believe! Was it really that slow a news day that channel 3 had to play this crap? A couple answers for why this happened, The employee had a gun because of trash robbing this store! Your son was shot because YOU, as parents dropped the ball raising this trash! When some one is shot in the head, it stops the criminal shooting his gun at innocent people! The parents of this phyco should serve time in prison for raising an idiot that robs the place where he used to work where every one knows him, how long was he going to steal to support his kid after this, or was he going to kill every one in the store?

  • Jim November 11, 2016, 12:53 pm

    I have a better question, why did your son have a gun and why was he threatening others and committing an armed robbery? This employee was protecting himself and others in the face of what all appeared to be a deadly threat.

  • Timothy Craven November 11, 2016, 12:34 pm

    Well….About 12 years ago….In New Orleans…..We had a criminal, “In an act of desperation” robbed a restaurant called Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. I forget the specifics….But I believe 4 or 5 employees were marched into the cooler and executed…..Brutally murdered.
    About 2 months ago….An ex-employee, of a local Mexican restaurant…. “in an act of desperation” , brutally murdered a young girl who was the manager of said restaurant. She was stabbed about 10 times in the face and neck. The killer was caught and it was obvious he held anger for the manager because he was fired.
    So…To answer “mom’s” question…..The employee had a gun to protect his life. Pizza Hut can fire him if he violated policy.
    Case Closed.

    • Pete November 11, 2016, 1:29 pm

      Here’s where the mistake was made: If you’re going to commit an armed robbery you should bring your mother with you so she can explain to the people, who are soiling their underwear because they have a gun in their face, that you’re really a very nice fellow but just having a bad day.

  • kane November 11, 2016, 12:26 pm

    NEWS FLASH

    Pizza Hut employee wins “Super Gun Owner” of the month award.

  • Lynton Hester November 11, 2016, 12:23 pm

    Sorry he had to learn about self defense the hard way but, Mom & Dad, you failed your child in the lessons of life and your crocodile tears will not bring him back. The mirror is where the fault lies………..

  • Doc November 11, 2016, 12:22 pm

    Wrong question. It’s not why did this guy have a gun. It’s why you failed as parents and didn’t teach your demon seed not to try and kill somebody or take something you do not pay for. The parents are losers and their loser attitude prevailed and cost them their son. I don’t feel sorry for them or their dead demon seed. Got what was going to happen eventually any way. He picked a fight with the sheep dog and not the sheeple. We need me of this. Now as to your question why did the guy have a gun. The answer is simple. 1.) you are a failure as parents. 2.) this guy had a gun because you turned your animal lose on the public and he is the reason he had a gun. Either way you are both losers

  • JIM November 11, 2016, 12:15 pm

    HHMMM. Needed money for to feed His Kid??? SELL THE F>>>>ING GUN!!!!!

    • John November 12, 2016, 9:02 am

      Couldn’t, the weapon was probably stolen.

  • kane November 11, 2016, 12:06 pm

    Why did the employee of the pizza place have gun?

    Could it be because he did not want to be left with only a poor chance of surviving a robbery?

  • Tim November 11, 2016, 11:58 am

    is this some kind of a f_____g joke ?!!!

  • Missbaysdaddy November 11, 2016, 11:56 am

    Michael Grace Jr.got exactly what he deserved. He took the personal responsibility to take a gun into the Pizza Hut in order to commit a crime. It would not be the first time the employees of a Pizza Hut had been robbed and killed. The employee has every right to self defense and as for the head shot it was meant to stop the threat before he could shoot back. Give the employee a raise and go about taking care of business and not have to worry about this guy coming back for a second robbery at what he may have thought was an easy target.

  • Billybob November 11, 2016, 11:52 am

    Despite the revelation that half of the officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray – the incident that led to the Baltimore riots – are black, the narrative that black people are being disproportionately and unfairly targeted by predominantly white police officers and a racist criminal justice system in the United States continues to dominate. This has led to the growth of a divisive movement – ‘Black Lives Matter’ – which has only served to further polarize America down racial lines, obsessing on skin color and invoking white guilt, while ignoring the true causes of and solutions to police brutality. Until the following facts become part of the conversation, we’re never going to see a real reduction in the number of violent confrontations involving black people and police officers. But the mainstream media, political leaders and white people in general are afraid to even mention these facts for fear of being labeled racist. I’m not here to win any popularity contests. I genuinely care about less black people and less police officers dying in the streets. So I’m going to give it to you straight. Black people in the United States are more likely to be victims of violent confrontations with police officers than whites because they commit more violent crimes than whites per capita. – FACT: Despite making up just 13% of the population, blacks commit around half of homicides in the United States. DOJ statistics show that between 1980 and 2008, blacks committed 52% of homicides, compared to 45% of homicides committed by whites. More up to date FBI statistics tell a similar story. In 2013, black criminals carried out 38% of murders, compared to 31.1% for whites, again despite the fact that there are five times more white people in the U.S. – FACT: From 2011 to 2013, 38.5 per cent of people arrested for murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault were black. This figure is three times higher than the 13% black population figure. When you account for the fact that black males aged 15-34, who account for around 3% of the population, are responsible for the vast majority of these crimes, the figures are even more staggering. – FACT: Despite the fact that black people commit an equal or greater number of violent crimes than whites, whites are almost TWICE as likely to be killed by police officers. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, between 1999 and 2011, 2,151 whites died as a result of being shot by police compared to 1,130 blacks. Critics argue that black people are overrepresented in these figures because they only represent 13% of the population, but they are underrepresented if you factor in violent crime offenders. In other words, you would expect the number of blacks and whites killed by police to be roughly equal given that they commit a roughly equal number of violent crimes, but that’s not the case. Whites are nearly 100% more likely to be victims. And what about black on white violence in general? – FACT: Despite being outnumbered by whites five to one, blacks commit eight times more crimes against whites than vice-versa, according to FBI statistics from 2007. A black male is 40 times as likely to assault a white person as the reverse. These figures also show that interracial rape is almost exclusively black on white. “Even allowing for the existence of discrimination in the criminal justice system, the higher rates of crime among black Americans cannot be denied,” wrote James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein in their widely cited 1985 study, “Crime and Human Nature.” “Every study of crime using official data shows blacks to be overrepresented among persons arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for street crimes.” It’s clear that the greater propensity for black people to commit violent crimes is a driving factor as to why blacks are becoming involved in more violent confrontations with police than their 13% population figure suggests they should be. If the 911 calls are coming from black areas and are related to black people committing violent crimes, then of course black people are more likely to be involved in violent confrontations with cops. Does that justify police brutality in cases such as Freddie Gray, Walter Scott or Eric Garner? No. But it does demolish the ‘Black Lives Matter’ narrative that the general trend of black people being victims of violent encounters with police is solely down to the fact that cops are racist towards black people. Racism is a factor, but the statistics clearly show that it’s by no means the only factor, and some would argue not even the dominant factor. But aren’t all these statistics undermined by the fact that black people are unfairly targeted and framed for crimes by police officers in the first place? Don’t higher arrest and conviction rates of blacks merely prove that police are racist? This argument is debunked by looking at the proportion of offenders identified – not by police – but by victims – as black. The National Crime Victimization Survey shows that the number of blacks arrested generally correlates with the number of offenders identified as black by victims. Studies suggest that the reasons behind blacks being more likely to commit violent crimes are the dual issues of poverty (which exacerbates family breakdown) and a sub-culture amongst the black community that is tolerant of and glamorizes crime and violence. In the aftermath of the Ferguson and Baltimore riots, we saw the white metropolitan liberal media further legitimize this violence by openly justifying and even endorsing violent unrest that targeted mainly black-owned businesses. This is true racism – by encouraging blacks to loot and riot, the white liberal media is helping to keep black communities in a cycle of destructive behavior that will lead to more police brutality targeted against black people. Police brutality is a huge problem within the United States, and anyone that denies that fact is a part of the problem. But until we acknowledge and address the equally important issue of violent criminality within the black community, and until that becomes part of the national conversation, the issue is never going to be resolved. And by failing to make these facts part of the conversation, black political leaders, protest organizers, and the white liberal media is complicit in perpetuating the chain reaction of violence that makes more police brutality against black people an inevitable outcome.

    • SGT-N November 11, 2016, 5:18 pm

      Well documented and well said. Bravo to you.

      I don’t remember if you mentioned this fact as well: blacks kill, assault, and rob blacks more than any other racial group. (Citation forgotten). The black on black crime makes the BLM movement that more racist and idiotic.

      • loupgarous November 12, 2016, 2:32 pm

        You’re right and the correct citation is the FBI Uniform Crime Reports Expanded Homicide Data Table 6. That shows black people to commit more homicides against blacks than any other group does. Interestingly, the “Hispanic or Latino” group kills more white victims than anyone else, slightly more than black people do. Whiles predominantly kill other white people, and kill a tenth as many blacks than black people do.

        Those statistics become sharper when when you figure percentage of the total population is considered. According to the 2000 US Census, 72 percent of the population says they’re White, 12.8 percent say they’re Black, which 16.3 percent say they’re “Hispanic or Black”.

        Seen that way, offenders self-identifying as Blacks or “Latino or Hispanic” kill disproportionately more people of all races than do those who self-identify as White.

        This, of course, says nothing about the vast majority of Americans of all races who don’t kill anyone.

        I have to point out here that the FBI, in this table, only treats ethnicity as such as a separate variable when “Hispanic or Latino> is identified – everyone else is lumped into the categories “Not Hispanic or Latino” or “Unknown” which is sloppy work on their part, to say the least.

    • Edgar November 12, 2016, 10:43 am

      I am impressed with the research ! You are absolutely correct. I see the same trend occurring with the Islamic around the world. Their culture praises and rewards those who commit violence and all too often they remain silent and fail to condemn the violence even when most of the victims are their own culture. This will only continue until they, as a culture, come together and condemn and stop this destructive behavior rather then crying that they are victims of religious oppression. The African American community like the islamic community needs to strongly come out and begin policing their culture and stop glorifying acts of violence. Becoming the “Thug” or “Jihadist” should not be what young people should be aspiring to be and we should not be tolerating it, even at the expense of fear of being labeled racist. Black leadership have long known and acknowledged these statistics. It is sad, however true. But unfortunately its not what their constituents want to hear. It is simply more popular to cry victimisation. This is what Michael mother is attempting here. Shame on her, and shame on the cultures that don’t condemn that type of behavior.

  • John E November 11, 2016, 11:51 am

    Wow. Lets defend our criminals. They have the right to commit crimes without fearing for their lives. These parents need to realize where the real problem is and it is with them. They failed being parents. They failed to raise a responsible child. They also need to realize their son made his choice. He decided to risk his life and the life of the people working at the restaurant by robbing them. He made his choice and paid for it. Others should take note. If you are a criminal you run the risk of being killed!

    • Larry November 11, 2016, 4:46 pm

      Quote: “Wow. Lets defend our criminals. They have the right to commit crimes without fearing for their lives.”

      Are you serious? You’re actually advocating the right to break laws without reprisals, including getting shot?

      • Mike November 11, 2016, 6:05 pm

        Larry is reading challenged. Please forgive him.

      • Ben Slam November 11, 2016, 8:46 pm

        Larry, No he was not serious. If you read the rest of his opinion you can clearly see he believes the parents and the criminal child are to blame.

      • Dan November 11, 2016, 10:34 pm

        Uh Larry, maybe you should read the whole post.

      • Lance November 12, 2016, 1:46 am

        Larry, you need to work on your reading comprehension. John was simply quoting what the mother of the dead kid said. He was NOT saying that we should give criminals a break, simply quoting the mothers statements.
        Just though I’d point that out so you could relax a little bit there.

  • Gene November 11, 2016, 11:51 am

    I’m happy that the employee was able to defend himself, and he must practice similar to the way I train, and that’s 2 to the center mass and one to the head.
    Mummy dearist says because he was shot in the head that it was personal, well– sonny boy pointing his gun at the employee makes it personal.
    He received what he deserved!

    • sue November 11, 2016, 2:39 pm

      Glad I’m not the only one to point that out. A body shot may not take down the assailant before they can shoot back or cross the room to grab you, only a head shot is a 99% guaranteed take down, good spot behind the ear not much chance of escaping severe central nervous system disruption if nothing else, No momma a shot to the head is not personal, it’s what is taught in self defense school, the military or law enforcement. Anyone that carries likes to think they could take out a kneecap or otherwise disable without killing the assailant but that just isn’t reality when carrying a relatively small calibre weapon like a .380 or a 22. Seconds count, there is no thinking involved in a situation like that, instinct and trained reactions take over, pull point and pull the trigger that’s about all there is time for….I slow myself down a lot by not not keeping one in the chamber and yes it slows things down but it’s also much safer in case something unthinkable happens and the weapon is dropped or taken from me…the perp expects a lock and load and will freak when that first pull is just a click. If something seems to be going south I generally look for a out of sight place to ready my weapon I just don’t like taking the chance of an accident with one in the chamber even though I trust my Ruger very much I would really rather not have to deal with a bullet someplace it doesn’t belong or someone innocent being hurt.

      • Dean November 11, 2016, 4:21 pm

        Great point about an empty chamber. Who knows where an accidentally shot bullet will land? That could create a crime by accident as well if someone got hurt by it.

      • Ben Slam November 11, 2016, 8:53 pm

        That is correct. A handgun kills by the person bleeding out, unless there is a CNS hit. A rifle kills by shock if the bullet velocity is at least 2,000-2,200 FPS. Stopping power with a handgun is a myth. A 9mm hits with the force of a 10# weight dropped from 3/4”. A .45 hits with the force of a 10# weight dropped from 1.1”. Hardly a perceptible difference. A little 50 grain bullet at 3300 fps causes some serious damage. Watch a block of gel in slo mo compared to that of even what a 357 does to the gel. We show videos of a store clerk being shot by a coward with a 357. I don’t think she knew she was shot for a few seconds. She stood there without being knocked backward an inch. The red stain growing on the back of her shirt ws the only way you could tell she was shot. After 30-45 seconds she decided to make a call for help. So, when the robber was close, and especially if armed, a headshot was the right choice, whether intended or not.

  • Doug November 11, 2016, 11:49 am

    Could be he was committing suicide… same as suicide by police but we don’t hold the police responsible when a weapon is pointed at them nor should we hold a an employee criminally or civily for protecting his own life. Thank God the criminal died, not the innocent!

    • sue November 11, 2016, 2:43 pm

      Does that state have some version of stand your ground? If you point a gun at me at that point I have the right to use deadly force and that is true in every state of the union as far as I know. In stand your ground states it means you have no duty to retreat if you’re confronted as well thus removing the inherent problems with assailants who haven’t yet broken down the door and other situations.

      • Larry November 11, 2016, 4:50 pm

        Yes we do. And yes we have to right to use deadly force. Case closed!

  • Travis Taylor November 11, 2016, 11:45 am

    I could not AGREE more with the comments that have been made here regarding the victim. Shame on the parents for thinking different. You obviously did not teach him well.

  • Mike Watkins November 11, 2016, 11:41 am

    Robert C., thank you for your comments. I thank God the vast majority of Black Americans are like you (and like me and the rest of us here at GunsAmerica) and not like this criminal who was shot, or like his irresponsible blame-shifting parents.

    It totally bothers me that shootings like this, or when a Black man is killed by a White cop, get all the media/lib attention and rage. But it seems Black Lives Don’t Really Matter when a Black person is killed by another Black person. There is quite a bit of that in Little Rock, 150 miles south of where I live. If I didn’t sometimes read the Little Rock news I would never hear about it.

    It has also bothered me that I’m not hearing of community groups in those places that are stepping up to provide some love and guidance to kids whose own parents are absent or failing.

    Seems to me that would make a long term difference in some lives. Better than killing or incarcerating young men after they’ve turned bad.

  • Glenn Dixon November 11, 2016, 11:34 am

    Maybe mom and dad had some influence in creating the POS felon their son became! Cause-and-effect boys and girls.

    He wasn’t killed because he was in the commission of a serious violent felony….oh no! He was killed because of his skin color…yeah, yeah, dat’s the ticket! What f***ing planet are these people from?!

  • Kenneth Caplin November 11, 2016, 11:33 am

    Hmm-knowing his former Pizza Hut employer had a no gun policy, why do you think he went to his former employers place of business with a GUN? I’m sure there were other stores in the immediate area to hold up yet he chose his former work place. What he didn’t know is one of his former co-workers had a weapon to protect him and his co-workers instead of becoming victims!
    If he was so down on his luck don’t you think the parents should of helped him? Yes, they admit he was doing wrong by pointing a lethal weapon at the employees but did he have to die with a shot to head? Give me a BREAK! One pulls the trigger until the threat is stopped! The blame for their son’s demise falls on the shoulders of his parents! They want to blame the Pizza Hut owner, the employee who prevented possible mayhem without taking any responsibility. Their
    lack of parenting skills raising their son was the cause of his untimely death, period!

  • LJ November 11, 2016, 11:28 am

    Say ‘little johnny’ was a good boy? Wouldn’t hurt a fly, even though he stuck a gun in someone else’s face with the intent of taking what belonged to someone else, even if he had to take their life to get it, hence HIS gun? Robbed to get money to ‘feed his baby’? If you can’t afford a baby don’t make it. Did he try actually working for a living instead of taking what other hard working Americans EARNED by working?

    Hey mom, your ‘little johnny’ got shot in the head because that’s what the dumb bastard deserved. Living in this country is a very simple concept if you play by societies rules. If you want to live by the sword then die by the sword. I’m just glad this unsung hero shot your ‘little johnny’ in the head to take the dumb bastard out of the gene pool.

  • Greg November 11, 2016, 11:24 am

    Make him a store manager.

    • Gene November 11, 2016, 11:56 am

      I agree Greg.

  • Walter Boswell November 11, 2016, 11:23 am

    I noticed they didn’t have an attorney sitting
    next to them. This entire sherade is just for that, looking for an ambulance chaser to sue the hell out of Pizza Hut and all parties involved. They are waiting for the sleeve bag to call!!!! I wonder how many they have called so for!!!!

  • Tim Courtney November 11, 2016, 11:21 am

    There are people who will never accept responsibility for their actions. These “parents” raised a child that thought it was acceptable to point a gun at people, take money that did not belong to him and expect no consequences. Some games are tougher than others and the stakes much higher. I would be willing to bet there is civil suit in the works already for “wrongful” death.

  • Robert C November 11, 2016, 11:17 am

    First off, I’m African-American. I’ve fallen on hard times before….been down on my luck…no doubt. Did I engage in criminal acts? Nope. Armed robbery? Didn’t even cross my mind. You know what I did do? I worked 2 JOBS to support my family. And I did this while pursuing my Bachelors degree part time (which I have since completed). So, after many years of living paycheck to paycheck, hand to mouth (and yes, being on food stamps for a time), I can completely support my family without any public assistance. Even without a degree…I would have continued to work 2 crappy jobs to provide as those who don’t are losers and cowards and are afraid to work for something. Had this young man survived this and made off with a couple of hundred bucks what lesson would he teaching his child? “If you need something, don’t worry about working…just take what doesn’t belong to you by violence”. What a POS dad this guy probably would have been. Teaching the next generation of thugs and lowlifes how it’s done….
    I think this family is completely full of BS. They say that they acknowledge that he was doing wrong but always give that caveat of “he had fallen on hard times and had to provide for his baby”….THEN GET AN F-ING JOB! I feel sorry that the family lost a son…absolutely tragic but completely avoidable. As far as I’m concerned the guy got what he deserved. You live by the sword, you die by the sword. You show up in my place of work, armed and ready to put my life in jeopardy you sure as hell better be ready to face the business end of my .357 mag as I intend to go home to my family. Bad guy? Not going home to his because…..F-him.

    • Wojo November 11, 2016, 11:28 am

      Well said.

      • Responsible November 11, 2016, 12:29 pm

        I applaud you! You did things the right way. Food stamps are meant to help for a time…not become a lifesyle. Good for you and thanks for your comment. Respect!

    • LJ November 11, 2016, 11:32 am

      Amen …

    • Vince November 11, 2016, 12:46 pm

      That is how it is done; good on you!

      And, as a non-AA, while you may be the apparent minority voice, I firmly believe you represent the majority opinion of others that share your race; as well as those from all backgrounds.

    • SGT-N November 11, 2016, 5:29 pm

      Great job. I salute your perseverance and hard work.

    • Irv November 12, 2016, 3:03 am

      God bless you. You truly are a man, because times were tough you still continued to do the right thing and didn’t take the easy way out. You are a fine example of what a true man is.

  • DJ November 11, 2016, 11:12 am

    He got what was coming to him, case closed. His parents should have done a better job raising him.

  • trant November 11, 2016, 11:09 am

    Stupid anti-gun nut parents! The employee had a right to defend himself using whatever force necessary, given that it was an armed robbery. Stop making excuses for your son.

  • Vince November 11, 2016, 11:04 am

    Pizza hut guy should get a promotion for saving the lives of everyone in the store.
    Mother should be quiet and reflect on her poor parenting.
    Son got exactly what he deserved.
    The end.

  • Mike November 11, 2016, 10:59 am

    I can’t recall any time when I’ve heard a mother complain that their child received too light a consequence for committing a crime. Actually a head shot is a low percentage target, center mass has a higher likelihood of stopping the threat. Since I wasn’t there I’m only guessing that the employee had just gotten a huge adrenaline dump and consequent loss of fine motor control. Wherever we are in life is the result of a long string of choices, most of which we made for ourselves. If you want good consequences, make good choices. There are no guarantees but the odds go up for those who make better choices.

  • Ace November 11, 2016, 10:54 am

    I think the parents are right !! There needs to be further investigation.
    1. Did the parents receive any stolen property or money from his criminal activities?
    2. Did they know he was committing armed robberies and not report it?
    3. Did they know he had an illegally obtained weapon?
    All these would make the parents accessories to any of the crimes that he committed, and they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Maybe if parents who raised these thugs would be responsible for their children they would do a better job of raising them.

    • Allen G Gibson November 11, 2016, 11:13 am

      I don’t think the parents are right. They don’t know what their son would have done. He had a gun and was threatening to use it. For all that we know, he could have killed anyone for not cooperating, I side with the employee if he was pointing his gun at someone and threatening them. It would be the same if he would have grabbed a knife and killed him in order to protect himself or fellow employees. If the man was going through some hard times, the parents should have helped out their son. The parents are also to blame.

  • Fred Donez November 11, 2016, 10:45 am

    The robbers knew for a fact this place is suppose to be a gun free zone so it was suppose to be easy. Surprise, the employee had every right to defend himself. If you pull a gun on me I I’ll draw my gun ( I have a conceal permit). The parents are making excuses for there son by saying hard times, a baby no job. Message to all robbers, people are tried and sick of getting robbed, some killed. More and more people are arming themselves. If that’s your job be ready to die. I’d like to ask the parents if they would feel better had he been killed by a police officer or a security guard. To the employee excellent shot. One shoot one kill.

    • P.D. November 11, 2016, 11:33 am

      From the sound of it they are trying to set up for a lawsuit against Pizza Hut. They want to profit on their sons death and stupidity.

  • Marilyn Z November 11, 2016, 10:45 am

    When you set out with a gun to rob a store, you must have enough intelligence to understand that you could be killed in the process. Head shots or body shots..who cares? The man was protecting his own life and he shot to kill which is what any intelligent person would do. What does this mother expect? Shoot to wing ’em? No, you shoot to kill the perpetrator.

    Maybe the fault lies with the parents and their raising of this outlaw. We have all been down and out, but few of us would commit a crime to *fix* our problems. You work 2 or 4 jobs…you work your butt off, you do not rob someone.

  • godfrey daniel November 11, 2016, 10:35 am

    I just can’t stop snickering and I’m not sad one little bit.

  • Mike November 11, 2016, 10:30 am

    The Associated Press story on the incident says in part: “Police say their initial investigation indicates three people entered the restaurant around 1:40 a.m. Sunday and were in the process of robbing it when one of the employees used his personal handgun to shoot one male thief. Police say a handgun carried by the slain robber was recovered at the scene.”

  • Bob November 11, 2016, 10:28 am

    Stupid Democrats.

  • Dave November 11, 2016, 10:21 am

    Stupid. You take part in robbery but you “wouldn’t hurt anyone”. Headshot was smart. Fastest way to put someone down. I know it’s not politically correct. But remember “thou shall not steal”. Which weight in this instance add “or you could be shot in the head”. Delivery guy was protecting himself. Survival is a basic human instinct and folks try to save doesn’t exist. It does, it is hard wired into us, and it’s why humanity is still here. Not saber toothed tigers.

  • Mark Davis November 11, 2016, 10:17 am

    Your son is dead because of his actions! If he and the other two with him did not hurt and get away it would only be a matter of time before he did hurt or kill someone! Bottom line there was three of them. I would have shot all three of them!

    • John November 11, 2016, 8:35 pm

      I think you are wrong. The son is dead because of the actions of the parents. (raising a son that thinks it’s ok to take by force what he didn’t earn)

  • billy burwick November 11, 2016, 10:16 am

    You mess with the Bull you get the Horns!

    The fact he had a gun on him doesn’t even register with his parents.
    Typical liberal thinking.

  • Dennis November 11, 2016, 10:16 am

    The comments of the mother reek of someone that cannot accept the fact that parental guidance is one of the most important lessons of raising a child. The story does not say if the peaceful non violent robber obtained his weapon legal manner. He knew when he walked into the Pizza Hut what he was doing was wrong. Shot behind the ear? I bet he didn’t see that one coming.
    Praise for the employee who defended himself and others.

  • J james November 11, 2016, 10:09 am

    Listening to this woman makes you want to scream. Trying to justify her son committing an armed robbery by saying he was down on his luck, and reversing the blame for her son’s death to the employee and not her son or his parents. I wonder how long it will take after her son is buried for them to sue Pizza Hut? Same day probably.

  • Billybob November 11, 2016, 10:08 am

    You are NOT victims anymore You are the bad guys now You have your hand out for more freebies You won\’t take responsibility for yourself You have a 74% illegitimacy rate You are 13% of the population but you commit 65% of the crime You produce nothing You contribute nothing You take and just want more You don\’t think the laws should apply to you You blame others for your own decisions You don\’t try in school You don\’t try at work You have no concept of personal responsibility You don\’t see the direct connection between your own decisions and the impact on your quality of life You can\’t imagine how hard it is to make it in the world, because you never try You think you can have quality of life without earning it You don\’t raise your children with any morality You celebrate violence and misogyny You defend the inexcusable You beat your domestic partners You think you are owed something, when you\’re not At this point you are not victims of the bad guys, You ARE the bad guys. I\’m tired of my tax dollars being used as handouts to these THUGS.

    • George Stafford November 11, 2016, 11:23 am

      Wow Billybob, yours was the perfect response in repudiating these absent parents. I have never heard a more concise statement offered to explain the difference between us (the go-to-work and raise your family) majority and those ne’er-do-wells that contribute nothing but expect everything. Well done!

  • Frank November 11, 2016, 10:01 am

    I’ts pretty easy to blame someone else isn’t it? The fact is their son tried to commit a crime and paid the ultimate price for it. The parents can make all the excuses they want ‘he had an infant son’, ‘he made a mistake’, The fact is he did do something wrong. He put the lives of his coworkers in danger. You don’t get money during a robbery by being polite. There had to be threats of bodily injury involved. Therefore the employees lives were not forfeit because of their son’s stupidity or desperation. Yes stupidity because who commits armed robbery of a place you work at where they can recognize you. The fact that he did that also tells me it was personal for him. He wanted to feel powerful over the people he worked with and for. So sorry lady I don’t buy that your son is an angel. He got what he deserved for what he did by someone other than a police force. Everyone deserves the right to defend themselves. Even from coworkers who decide to rob your place of work under threat.

    Don’t get me wrong. I am truly sorry for your loss. Losing a son is devastating but you are going to have to come to grips with the fact that he made that decision and did not think about the consequences for him, the mother of his child and his son. I;m sorry your son fell on hard times. I have been there myself. However, please stop blaming other people, Don’t blame yourself for failing your child and understand it was his choice. Blaming others will not bring him back. May he rest in peace and may your anguish be assuaged the the warm warm memories of your son.

  • Tommy Barrios November 11, 2016, 9:59 am

    TELL THAT WHINING GHETTO TRASH, THEY ARE NEXT!
    Can you say, “DEAD NI&&ER STORAGE”, boys and girls!

    • Kevin Hovan November 11, 2016, 11:46 am

      It’s comments like this that has the left eager to enact gun control. Please, Tommy… Don’t give them reason to accuse second amendment supporters of being racist and uneducated. I would hate to see that quote show up in the form of legislators pushing gun control. Look at the other posts here. They are thought out and they address the cause and effect of the choice of committing a crime and possible consequences. Your comment is racist, violent, and threatening. Like most here, I will defend myself and other innocents when danger threatens regardless of who embodies that danger, but my motivation (as I believe is the motivation of most here) is love for the innocent and self-preservation, not because of hatred of any demographic of people. I humbly request that you pull your post. Don’t feed the gun-grabbers a belt of ammunition to use against us.

  • John November 11, 2016, 9:57 am

    Why does the article not mention the noted fact that was in the video that the robber was carrying gun and nowhere in this story mention if he was threatening the employees with that gun, in which case there would be no argument to be made that he was somehow unjustifiably shot by an employee rightfully defending their own life and potentially that of others. So the parent wants to know why their son should not be accountable for threatening others with death at the point of his gun?

    • kane November 11, 2016, 12:16 pm

      Yeah, there was so much important information missing from this article that one has to question the author’s intentions.

  • RonE November 11, 2016, 9:55 am

    So you parents thought it was OK for your son to go out and Rob innocent people who are trying to make a living ? Why didn’t he do like everyone else and go out and find a job !! He was the criminal he deserved what he got !! What would you do if someone tried to rob you of your money, just give it to them ? I’m glad there was someone there to protect the people there !! Now days people are tired of Thugs like your son taking from them and they Are going to defend themselves from Thugs like your son !!! I applaud the man that defended himself and the people that were in there by stopping the threat that was there. He should be given a reward for being a hero !!! How can you defend someone commenting a violent crime 😱??? You should be ashamed of yourself for upholding your Thug son’s actions ! I would have done the same thing as that man did to protect myself and others if I was presented with some Thug robing me or a place were I was at !! Robbery is a crime regardless of any reason our circumstances!!! Oh by the way I’m a Black Man also !! God Bless America !! 🇺🇸

  • Jim November 11, 2016, 9:53 am

    When you commit a crime such as robbery; forcibly taking that which does not belong to you, you assume the risk associated with resistance to that crime. The commission of that crime makes the commission of additional crimes plausible, thereby legitimizing fear for ones life. The criminal act itself determined the outcome, and the person who started the chain of events is SOLELY responsible for what happened.

  • Scott Williams November 11, 2016, 9:46 am

    The employee or any employee or any person has the total right to protect themselves and those around them that can not. It sounds as if all the other employee’s of Pizza Hut new this person and how violent he could of been who knows we were not present at the time. The parents although sad and my heart goes out for their lost, need to understand that is how we in America Protect ourselves and those we love and care about. In the act of violence and robbery is violence anything goes to protect themselves and others, the hell with the money that is noting to care about it can be replaced however, My Life and those I protect and love can not be replace so the person putting me in that position is going to get shoot, clubbed or stabbed with a fork if I have to but, I will protect those in my sphere of protection from criminals and your Son was doing wrong and placed himself in that position. The shot in the head was merciful and instant be thankful he did not have to suffer a lingering death.
    Scott

  • Roger November 11, 2016, 9:44 am

    “This wasn’t a body shot. This was a head shot. My son was shot in the left side of his head just behind his ear. A headshot is personal,” added Hairston.
    and Mrs. Hairston, I might add, a head shot is damn effective. Dropped your son like the piece of shit he was…….

    I see a new illogical Money Grab movement coming ” My criminal son’s life matters”
    Logic, does it exist anymore?

  • Kenneth Goodgame November 11, 2016, 9:43 am

    I hope Pizza Hut granted a “paid leave of absence” to their employee while this matter is being investigated. Also, this employee should receive a bonus for his actions in protecting the lives of those dining in Pizza Hut. Also, I agree, this was an accurate shot to behind the ear.

    • Frank November 11, 2016, 10:05 am

      The sad fact is, Pizza Hut will probably fire this person along with just about any other business because they are putting other employees and patrons in danger. It is unfortunate. I also laugh at the fact that you think they are going to put him on a paid leave of absence. There is no such thing when you work for minimum wage. I think it was Chris Rock that once said, “paying someone minimum wage is the same thing as saying,’If I could legally pay you less, I would'”

      • DJ November 11, 2016, 11:15 am

        Some one else will hire him

  • mike November 11, 2016, 9:41 am

    “Besides, my boy didn’t have to KILL anybody during THIS PARTICULAR ARMED ROBBERY, they should have to wait until he DOES before they are ALLOWED to use Deadly Force against him.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, now THAT was FUNNY!! What is NOT funny is these TROGLODITES are ALLOWED to REPRODUCE AND VOTE!!

  • BigC November 11, 2016, 9:40 am

    He had a gun to protect himself from people like that worthless POS you called a Son!!!!

  • Pyro November 11, 2016, 9:37 am

    I’m going to try and stick to facts on this issue and the information presented to me in this article. I don’t really ever comment on things like this but this one personally just blew me away. I don’t know the details of what actually happened. If the person who shot him was in fear for his or her own life or felt they were in danger then he or she was justified in using deadly force. That’s the potential consequence of attempting to rob some place or somebody you could end up dead. Falling on hard times is no excuse to turn to crime let alone armed robbery. Everyone I know has at one point in time has of have fallen on hard times. Lucky for the majority of society when times get rough most people don’t turn to committing crimes in a act of desperation as a way to better the situation they are in. He is dead because of his own actions and what he choose to do. So I hope that the parents atleast come to this realization or understanding of these facts and stop mis-placing blame. It isn’t somebody else’s fault IE the person who shot him. On one hand I do feel bad for the parents that they lost their child. Yet how he ended up dead I dont feel sorry for them because In the end it was what he choose to do that got him killed.
    Those are just my feelings and overall they don’t matter in relavence to this issue.

  • Me November 11, 2016, 9:37 am

    F*&%ing morons ! It’s fast becoming a Madd Maxx society for these backward, uneducated, liberal, live off the hard work of others, leeches.
    If a law enforcement officer had shot the perp, there would have been riots about police brutality.
    To those who believe ‘jungle rules’ are the norm, go live in the jungle. America doesn’t want or need you.

  • Rooster Cogburn November 11, 2016, 9:29 am

    In these parents world everyone who is on hard times and supporting a child it’s ok to commit armed robbery. There would be millions of armed robberies a day and we would live in chaos. It’s amazing how these people think, just another case of “he was just about to turn his life around and was a really good guy”. These people just need to STFU.

  • Brad November 11, 2016, 9:27 am

    Thank you Pizza Hut for protecting employees. I have to give applause to this act by the employee. I’m certain that taking someone’s life was not something they wanted to do but in this case the good guys being armed may have saved the lives of others. How do we know these guys didn’t intend to initiate a mass shooting? I’m sorry for the family’s loss, I’ll bet you Pizza Hut would have hired the young man shot but he chose his path. Permanent solution to a temporary problem. Clearly he knew the consequences of jail time walking into that Pizza Hut.

  • Ralph Meloon November 11, 2016, 9:24 am

    Their comment that it was the place of the police to shoot someone and kill them and not the place of a private person. Whoa, when did that happen? All I observe and read is that not even the cops can shoot someone or they are railroaded. Besides, where were the police when this happened? Having coffee? On a break? At the station? Of course. Case closed… Parents, raise your kids right. That is the bottom line.

  • Tim November 11, 2016, 9:24 am

    Their son was committing a felony. When I was laid off for 4 1/2 years straight I NEVER robbed anybody. My morality told me that it was wrong. Instead I struggled. Committing a felony IS easier but the risk is that you may die as a felon. Working hard NEVER killed anybody. Why in the hell did this guy decide to risk his life so that he could be lazy? It is NOT the place of law enforcement to defend your life. It is YOUR OWN responsibility according to the Supreme Court. Police come to investigate and there is NO RIGHT for police protection. Perhaps you two should have smacked your son across the ear to get his attention that acting like a hood will not turn out well. He died by his own hand. Had he simply worked for his money he would be alive today. It is very interesting that the parents left out a VERY important fact. Their scumbag son pulled out a gun to kill Pizza Hut employees. They were also running in a pack. The other two escaped…..so do what you should do as a law abiding set of parents…..turn them in. You know who he ran with. Guess what? If your son came into my home and terrorized me or anybody else with threats of killing me, I too would have shot him AND have that absolute right to defend my life or the lives of others..

  • Ken Brown November 11, 2016, 9:23 am

    “This wasn’t a body shot. This was a head shot. My son was shot in the left side of his head just behind his ear. A headshot is personal,” added Hairston.
    Personally, I believe that “a headshot” is accuracy …

  • Roger November 11, 2016, 9:22 am

    “This wasn’t a body shot. This was a head shot. My son was shot in the left side of his head just behind his ear. A headshot is personal,” added Hairston. and Mrs. Hairston, I might add, a head shot is damn effective. Dropped your son like the piece of shit he was…….
    Logic, does it exist anymore?

  • Watchman48 November 11, 2016, 9:21 am

    It is truly a shame that a young man’s stupid actions caused his own death, but there are consequences for stupid behavior and the consequences for this young man’s ignorance is what got him killed.

  • Ordinary Man November 11, 2016, 9:20 am

    Two things about this really disturb me. In the same sentence Mom says he was desperate but he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Desperate people do desperate things. Second, he use to work there…….the employees more than likely recognized him so how far would he get if he left witnesses?

  • Randy November 11, 2016, 9:15 am

    WOW, JUST WOW. You parents of this criminal thug are some kind of special stupid ain’t ya. If you were so concerned that he was just trying to support his young child, why the ef didn’t you help him. Besides that, from the looks of his pic he’s quite capable of working. He chose to be a thug. I really think you’re just pissed because the police didn’t shoot him and you have no deep pockets to sue. Blame yourself and blame your kid.
    Remember this, ” EVERYONE SEEKS THIER OWN LEVEL”.

  • John Sahagian November 11, 2016, 9:14 am

    The parents of the robber should apologize to the shooter for putting him through what will be a traumatic series of legal events and memories that I am sure that no one wants to live with.

  • Infidel7.62 November 11, 2016, 9:14 am

    Why in the hell was your son a felon? Actions have consequences dummies.

  • j. mack November 11, 2016, 9:10 am

    this woman is a real moron

  • Dirty_Old_Madman November 11, 2016, 9:09 am

    If times got tough he should have gone to get food from any one of a number of local food banks, found a job that maybe he didn’t like but would have given him a paycheck, or maybe even joined the military, but no he took the easy way out that could have been at the expense of one of the stores employees. The only thing I find at fault in this article is that the employee was placed on administrative leave. That should have been paid administrative leave just like the police when involved in a shooting especially when the evidence shows that it was an attempted hold-up.

  • Little Stevie November 11, 2016, 9:03 am

    If law enforcement had done the shooting, as momma suggests would have been proper, BLM would have been out in the streets rioting. As it is, I nominate the employee who did the shooting for Employee of the Month.

  • walt morris November 11, 2016, 8:59 am

    it is too bad that this young man’s life was ended and also too bad he didn’t have a decent set of parents to teach him about honesty, integrity and a little Christian teaching. the dead boy probably never had seen the inside of a church but probably saw his parents taking a toke of pot or a shot of meth , coke, etc. the parents along with our illustrious president who has worked for nearly 8 years to destroy our economy and our freedoms are the ones who have failed this young man. I want to thank the young who saved his life by ending this thugs life. the thug and his whole family were a total waste of oxygen–Why did the parents not help their son. you don’t suppose they were on welfare and/ or jobless too bad they could not see Obama and ask him why he has done more to hurt our country than any one in the history of our country!!! thank God Hillary will not be able to continue Obama’s program of America’s destruction.

  • Chris November 11, 2016, 8:54 am

    This is just unbelievable…. Hopefully our new Government in D.C. will start to subdue this kind of pure retardation were these truly God-Awful parents will have a much smaller, if no venue what so ever to speak (via cultural changes from Government direction). Kudos to Mr. Grace for quickly and efficiently taking care of the situation.

  • Bob T November 11, 2016, 8:53 am

    Once again, people with terribly misguided mindsets, of course they loved their Son, but not enough apparently that they didn’t raise him not to attempt an ARMED ROBBERY, so to the Parents I say this, Grow up ! Take responsibility for you own actions, in stead of Blaming the shooter who was ABSOLUTELY Correct in his action. Blame YOUR CRIMINAL SON !

    • Steven Babbitt November 11, 2016, 9:59 am

      I love this article as usual The writer leaves out conveniently that the gentleman (robber) have a gun…..
      Use a gun you run the risk of being shot
      Your point the gun at a police officer we run the risk of being killed yourself
      Why does the general public seem surprised when this happens or the parents of the dividual

  • rex dickerson November 11, 2016, 8:47 am

    “Even a criminal has a right to a degree,” Yes indeed. Of course, in their upside down world of zero responsibility their son is the victim. Now, I expect, they’ll use his crime related death to sue Pizza Hut.

  • Rich K. November 11, 2016, 8:43 am

    Boo hoo. Poor widdle thug was another “good boy who wouldn’t hurt anyone” and got shot because of it. You know, instead of rioting and looting, if the black community as a whole want the rest of the nation to respect them, they need to clean up their acts, root out the bad seeds among them, burn down the crack houses, and start taking some pride in their communities, instead of screaming “RACIST” at every turn and trying to claim that the criminals among them are really the victims, and making excused that they are “just desperate”. Love him, or hate him, Bill Cosby (who, himself, grew up poor in public housing) made a great point when he told the NAACP (in his infamous “Pound Cake speech”) that blacks are their own worst enemy. Excerpts from that speech:
    “But these people, the ones up here in the balcony fought so hard. Looking at the incarcerated, these are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake! And then we all run out and are outraged, ‘The cops shouldn’t have shot him.’ What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand? I wanted a piece of pound cake just as bad as anybody else, and I looked at it and I had no money. And something called parenting said, ‘If you get caught with it you’re going to embarrass your mother.’ Not ‘You’re going to get your butt kicked.’ No. ‘You’re going to embarrass your family.'”

    “In the neighborhood that most of us grew up in, parenting is not going on. In the old days, you couldn’t hooky school because every drawn shade was an eye. And before your mother got off the bus and to the house, she knew exactly where you had gone, who had gone into the house, and where you got on whatever you had on and where you got it from. Parents don’t know that today.”

    “When you want to clear your neighborhood out, first thing you do is go get the Black Muslims, bean pies and all. And your neighborhood is then clear.”

    “We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don’t know a damned thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Shaligua, Mohammed and all that crap and all of them are in jail.”

    “Well, I’ve got something to tell you about Jesus. When you go to the church, look at the stained glass things of Jesus. Look at them. Is Jesus smiling? Not in one picture. So, tell your friends. Let’s try to do something. Let’s try to make Jesus smile. Let’s start parenting. Thank you, thank you.”

  • Jmvg November 11, 2016, 8:37 am

    eso es la cosecuencia de un delincuente estupido el debio pensar ante de cometer ese delito las cosrcuencias de sus actos sobre todo el puso en riesgo la vida de todos los clientes y empleados de pizza hut! y como quieran ponerlo el empleado ariesgo su vida contra 3 delicuentes posiblemente la vida de ese empleado sigue en riesgo porque hay 2 delincuentes sueltos on the street thanks to the employee.

  • John November 11, 2016, 8:35 am

    Wow! This “mother” is wrong on so many levels. Let’s begin with the fact that her son was in the act of committing armed robbery, which is a felony. Then she blames the pizza worker for carrying a weapon and wants to know what position he held at work. What position he held at work is irrelevant, what her son was doing, is what is relevant. Regardless of what she thinks her son would or would not do, him robbing the place with a gun means the threat is real, not imagined. That pizza worker felt their life was in danger, which it was, and has a right to defend their life so that they don’t end up as that body on the slab. Mommy saying that here precious baby was only trying to support his own baby doesn’t give him the right to commit armed robbery. Plain and simple. If one desires not to be shot and killed in the commission of a crime, don’t go out and commit a crime.

    • David Barnett November 11, 2016, 8:59 am

      This pizza employee or any other person who is protecting their property or their own health are not the ones who set the decision of dying for criminal activity. That decision is set by the criminal, they are the ones who determine what their life is worth. This set of criminals determined that the money and fun they were about to partake in was worth their life. Everyone has a right to protect themselves with as much force as they deem the situation calls for. An armed robber can kill for no reason at all as they have already demonstrated that they have no care for the laws of our nation. This POS needed to be dealt with , with extreme force to take him and his partners off the street. If successful they would have gone on to rob other folks or this was not their first robbery. No sorrow felt here for the deaths of armed criminals.

    • David Barnett November 11, 2016, 9:02 am

      This pizza employee or any other person who is protecting their property or their own health are not the ones who set the decision of dying for criminal activity. That decision is set by the criminal, they are the ones who determine what their life is worth. This set of criminals determined that the money and fun they were about to partake in was worth their life. Everyone has a right to protect themselves with as much force as they deem the situation calls for. An armed robber can kill for no reason at all as they have already demonstrated that they have no care for the laws of our nation. This POS needed to be dealt with , with extreme force to take him and his partners off the street. If successful they would have gone on to rob other folks or this was not their first robbery. No sorrow felt here for the deaths of armed criminals. The fact that the criminal had fallen on hard times just means his drug usage out distanced his finances.

  • Andrew Cardwell November 11, 2016, 8:31 am

    That kid should have had a change of heart and asked for an application. Or maybe went to his church if you’re truly willing to do everything for your child put your pride aside and do what really needs to be done.

  • VagabondSteve November 11, 2016, 8:23 am

    I love the line that
    ““If there was to be a death, it was not the place of the employee at Pizza Hut. That is the place of law enforcement,” said Hairston”. So much different if it’s a LEO. huh? Not quite as likely to be there to shoot him?

    Reminds me of the 2007 story of John Lovell, age 71 then, here in Plantation, FL. Former pilot of Marine One for JFK and LBJ and retired airline pilot, a Concealed Carry Permit holder carrying a .45 was the lone diner in a Subway. Two perps came in and robbed the store at gunpoint then turned their attention to robbing him. Important to note he did not try to use deadly force when it appeared the perps would get the cash and go. They tried to force him into the bathroom to teach him a lesson for being too slow to follow their orders. One robber didn’t want to do “it” and began arguing with the other. At this point Lovell produces the .45 and shoots one perp in the head and chest and the other in the chest. One died at the scene, the other fled and was located by a K9 unit and survived. The dead perps mom and grandma got lots of press in the Sun-Sentinel spewing the “he was a good boy” lines and “that man didn’t have to kill him” lines. The story even made SNOPES, for what that’s worth, but they didn’t mention the idiotic relatives’ comments.

    I figured the next step was to file a complaint with OSHA against the State of Florida for allowing concealed carry. After all how’s a robber to make a living if victims can carry guns? It is a hostile workplace environment!!!

  • Einar Petersen November 11, 2016, 8:23 am

    The parents saying they don’t believe their son would have hurt anyone, is asinine! As they said, he had fallen on hard times, and under these conditions, there is no one who can predict the actions and/or reactions of another person. With the rampant increase of violence, involving weapons, and the lack of respect of the rule of law, most especially by persons of color, there is no reason a potential victim should not expect the worst outcome possible on his/her end, and take the most extreme option to protect themselves, and their fellow potential victims. This is NOT a racist statement, it is a FACT based on Government Statistics.

  • dave November 11, 2016, 8:23 am

    He got what he deserved…..I would have done the same thing. How about getting a job like everyone else. He would still be alive if he had honest job. So the parents failed to teach him, they are to blame that he is dead……………

  • wasntme November 11, 2016, 8:21 am

    “A headshot is personal”

    I don’t know about that but it is effective. Give the shooter a bonus.

    • Vagabond Steve November 11, 2016, 8:38 am

      Yeah, so what kind of “shot” isn’t “personal” when you are shooting a “person”? Just for future reference I mean.
      If you’re gonna be dumb you gotta be tough!

  • rev_dave November 11, 2016, 8:20 am

    Fumb Ducks. Act like a thug, die like a thug. Should have raised him differently, and now you got nothing to complain about.

    But now his baby can grow up on welfare, so he ‘took care’ of him after all.

  • Tripwire November 11, 2016, 8:16 am

    From the picture of him I’d say he had a wannabe gang banger attitude but that aside, he could have sold the shiny thing in his ear for more than he would have gotten from a Pizza Hut. These people don’t see robbing the “Rich” as a sin or as breaking the law, they see it as Pizza Hut has lots of money so they need to share.
    Thank the Lib media for this attitude, to some dipshit who won’t work but can knock up some dumb chick it’s his right to take what others have because they must have too much?
    God we have become a nation of idiots.

  • Peter Nelson November 11, 2016, 7:58 am

    So dildo breath dad thinks his son had a right to secure money for food by robbing! In America there is always help, especially if you have a child. There is never an excuse for stealing. Dildo breath probably knows that his dead son was on drugs and stole often so he could maintain his drug habits.
    As far as the employee shooting Dildo breaths son, well, let’s think about it. Did the employee know for a certainty that the robber did not himself posses a gun? Did he know for sure that the robber would not harm anyone as Dildo breath claims?
    Also please tell us all Mr. Dildo breath, what is the concept of self defense and the right to carry firearms all about?

  • Dave November 11, 2016, 7:53 am

    In addition to the many comments…..had he got away with some money, how much would go towards the baby and how much towards drugs, alcohol, and cigs……baby 0$ I suspect.

  • ROBERT PAGAN November 11, 2016, 7:53 am

    So let me see if I can get this straight. If the police had been involved her son would be behind bars instead of dead? I thought police are the ones that will kill you____now Pizza Hut employees are on equal footing with police? What next? Chick-fil-A? Attribution doesn’t work here. If it hadn’t been for his need to support his child he wouldn’t have been robbing someone? That is simply an unacceptable excuse. Sorry he is dead but on the other hand it could have been the Pizza Hut employee on a slab.

  • Illegal Jose November 11, 2016, 7:42 am

    I feel sorry for the Pizza guy. Pizza Hut is owned by PepsiCo, a big liberal entity. Probably will get fired for having a gun at work.

    • VagabondSteve November 11, 2016, 8:28 am

      Franchise location, so the hero is not an employee of Pizza Hut but of the franchisee. MAYBE he will not be fired for saving his own and possibly others lives….

  • Al Friend November 11, 2016, 7:38 am

    So if I were to rob these people of their money and personal items, that’s okay and they should not be able to do anything about it. GROW UP! Our society has been supporting denial of personal responsibility and lack of following our laws for so long that if you believe in law and order you are the bad person.

    Their son had a problem. He thought he could take what was not his. When his parents tell me that is acceptable behavior and can justify it, I will listen. They need to grasp the reality that a person’s actions have consequences. Simple, but very hard to accept sometimes.

  • jim parker November 11, 2016, 7:33 am

    To the parents if you knew you child was down on his luck you should have supported him.,Mentally and monetarily like good parents do. Your son put himself in the position that he took a head shot. When you go into a business with a gun and attempt to rob it you deserve to be shot. No one should have to look down the barrel of a gun at work.
    To the shooter great job Patriot, we need more people like yourself trained to protect the innocent. And nice placement a dead man can’t sue you.

  • Brandon Bruce November 11, 2016, 7:19 am

    Don’t be surprised if you get shot if you go into any business carrying a firearm with evil intent.

  • Andy Buckmichael November 11, 2016, 7:08 am

    Flush those people.

  • energy101 November 11, 2016, 7:05 am

    Are they insane? They clearly are the cause of their son’s actions.
    “Down on your luck? Get a weapon and go rob some place.” Was that
    their lesson to their son? She justifies his actions in the interview! They
    sure didn’t teach him any better.

  • oldnumber20 November 11, 2016, 7:05 am

    Being a criminal should be a high risk occupation.

  • Joseph Lammers November 11, 2016, 6:54 am

    I don’t know if Michael Grace intended to leave the employee alive after robbing him or not. Neither do his parents, and most importantly, neither did the employee. If you point a gun at me demanding money or something else I can only assume you are putting my life in danger. The parents are delusional to expect the employee not to react as he did.

  • Rocky November 11, 2016, 6:48 am

    Yo mom and dad… Do not blame the Pizza Hut employee. He did NOT put your son in a position to be shot in the commission of a felony, Michael Grace Jr. put himself in that position. He and he alone is responsible for his death. Hard times is no excuse. Had Law Enforcement shot him, you’d be screaming black lives matter, and burning the town down. We don’t want to hear it.

  • Bob McGuyer November 11, 2016, 6:44 am

    More “twisted” thinking from another failed parent. What was SHE doing raising a child with her messed up values? The boy made a choice as we all do and his was wrong. Notice that SIN is not mentioned; he chose to try to rob the Pizza Hut because he wanted to; he had other choices and got himself killed. Deadly force is justified for ANY person whose life is threatened by an attacker. You reap what you sow, and this woman is a failure as a parent and can’t/ won’t admit it.

  • John Sorensen November 11, 2016, 6:32 am

    What you DON’T hear from ANY news reporter is that pizza delivery drivers get robbed on a frequent basis while they are out delivering food. Was the employee a delivery driver who was carrying a weapon to use for his own self-defense? Mommy says her son was just trying to get money to support HIS son… Did anyone ever suggest to this young CRIMINAL that the BEST way to do that was to WORK for it? There’s one less THUG on the streets of Charlotte tonight. I’d say that’s a score for the good guys.

  • Steve R Lindsey November 11, 2016, 6:26 am

    Mom saying that the head shot was personal, it may have been the only shot he could take safely without endangering other people if he missed or if the round was a threw and threw shot. His mom should thank the guy for a shot placed behind either ear is an instant death, he could have shot him in the guy or liver, and the bad guy would have died a slow and painful death.

  • Rob Lewis November 11, 2016, 6:26 am

    suspect was armed per news story Fox News 10/31/16

    Investigators said a handgun was recovered at the scene that was being carried by the robbery suspect at the time he was shot.

  • Veteran 90 November 11, 2016, 6:12 am

    Gun Control is hitting what you aim at Congradulations

  • Mark November 11, 2016, 6:02 am

    Ladies and gentlemen, common sense has now left the building.

    Robber parents don’t understand why their kids get killed in the commission of a crime.
    Illegal Aliens don’t understand the word ‘illegal’

    • OK then November 11, 2016, 7:04 am

      Sadly this is a more common reaction than one would logically expect. Somehow over the past 20 years or so personal responsibility for one’s own actions has disappeared. Good for this pizza guy for refusing to be a victim. Shame on the deceased and his family for raising an animal w/ no morality.

    • energy101 November 11, 2016, 7:10 am

      Amen, brother. If I was the ‘news guy,’ I’d have to walk the other way on this one.

  • Bill November 11, 2016, 5:58 am

    Attitudes like this are PRECISELY what is wrong with this country. Why did the guy get shot? Because he asked for it by scaring law abiding citizens while blatantly breaking the law. This guy’s parents are out trying to get a sympathy vote to extort a big payday from a large corporation wanting to smooth the waters. If they get it, the system is even in worse shape than I thought.

    • Daniel November 11, 2016, 7:42 am

      Pizza Hut’s statement above was pretty good. They only mentioned the safety of their employees. Hopefully they’ll tell these parents to take a long walk off a short pier

      • kane November 11, 2016, 12:22 pm

        Pizza Hut must realize that 2A supporters can go on boycotts.

  • David Stradling November 11, 2016, 5:52 am

    Let me get this straight, criminal robs a store, get shot, and family is upset. While I can understand their grief for their loss what happened to common sense. Your a criminal or in the act of a criminal action what do you think your victims are suppose to do, hand you a lollypop? Sorry folks “you do the crime you do the time” and that time could mean you lose your life.

  • Edward Sjolin November 11, 2016, 5:22 am

    Oh my…..a disgruntled liberal. So what is new? If you choose to select me for robbing, please have all your affairs in order because I AM going to kill you……and I am an accompished marksman with long OR short guns. My uncle (Sam) schooled me well.

    • DRAINO November 11, 2016, 8:54 am

      Lol!!! But he didn’t “accompish” teaching you how to spell!! LOL!!!…..Sorry, Dude….just too good to pass up!

  • Dixin Balzdeap November 11, 2016, 4:36 am

    These are first-class parents…..

    Their son should have been aborted at birth…..

    Do they seriously think that robbing an establishment isn’t deserving of terminal force?

    The rights of the employees over rules the rights of a worthless criminal…..

    The shooter should get a medal for righteous vermin extermination…..

  • Donnie Steen November 11, 2016, 4:33 am

    So If your armed criminal ass of a son killed the employee…that WOULD be ok because he was a criminal at work?
    Exactly how fucking stupid are you people????
    Play stupid games win stupid prizes….
    At least he’ll have an embarrassing story to tell the other dumbasses in hell……..
    I’m sorry when anyone dies because of criminal acts but if their is a death it should be the criminals and NOT the victims..
    Be alert
    Be armed
    Be accurate
    Be able to kiss your kids goodnight at the end of the day…….
    I pray for the victim and his family
    Pulling the trigger was three pounds of pressure but now because he was forced to kill he will have a sorrow and pressure only a few people will understand…….
    You did the right thing

  • Captain O November 11, 2016, 4:22 am

    This fool died for his sins. His mother can’t “wrap her head” around the fact that her boy was nothing but gutter trash. She was responsible for justifying his actions.

    Good riddance to bad rubbish. The world won’t miss him.

  • Jerry November 11, 2016, 3:50 am

    As they say in Ceciltuckey, “TOUGH SHIT” !!!!!!

  • Barack November 11, 2016, 3:42 am

    YA They should just lay down at gun point and be good victims ! this calls for a protest. p.s I’m down on my luck to anyone know were there’s a gun free zoned pizza hut !

  • Thomas November 11, 2016, 3:34 am

    He should thought about that before he commited the crime and that some employee do carry a weapon in violating company policies hell I’ve but I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it

  • Robroy November 11, 2016, 3:31 am

    They said the criminal was carrying a gun at the time of the robbery. If he needed money that bad why didn’t he get a job? He received what he deserved. He knew the risk as all criminals do when they commit a crime. The only problem was that he didn’t think anyone else would be armed except him and therefore he would have the committed the crime of the century…By the way how much money was in the store at the time of the robbery. I think the parents should get up set if it was less than $500.00. What a crock! Obviously he missed the Sunday school class about that commandment concerning “Thou shall not steal” right? Was he a grown man or a 14 year old punk? If the store employee wasn’t suppose to have a gun then the criminal should not have had one either…I think the store employee had every right to defend himself. I am sure the criminal was showing his gun to get the cash. Sorry about your kid but he knew the risk.

  • ONETIMER November 11, 2016, 3:30 am

    I’ll have A Coke.

  • Duck Dander November 11, 2016, 3:21 am

    Life is hard. Life when you’re stupid is even harder.

  • DRAINO November 10, 2016, 9:31 am

    “The investigation is still ongoing, any new information will be released by Public Affairs.” If it’s still ongoing, then all the facts are not yet known. That being said, I saw nothing that said the perp had a gun….I didn’t see “armed” robbery mentioned in the article. However, I agree with the defensive reaction of the employee…..as it currently stands. I think the shot placement is worth looking into but again, investigation still ongoing. But I can have ZERO sympathy for someone who dies in the commission of an intentional crime. Yes, it’s a tragic loss for this family that this young man would make such a stupid choice, but these people live in a seriously twisted fantasy world if they expect/believe that violent criminals have a right to safety while committing crimes. These people are seriously ignorant of how our country works. That makes this whole thing even sadder. But the answer to their question……educate yourself and you will understand why “…this guy had a gun.”

    • Joe McHugh November 11, 2016, 5:51 am

      Draino, Michael Grace Jr. was the only one aiming a gun at the employees of Pizza Hut. As a former employee of that store, he knew that there was no “shop gun” on the premises. The other two robbers showed no guns and are still at large.

      OK, let’s consider what an armed robber represents during a hold up. He is threatening to kill anyone who resists the robbery activity. The robber might kill a victim who doesn’t move fast enough to hand over money. Worse, the robber might deliberately kill the employees anyway to avoid later identification.

      Now let’s review the statement of Temia Hairston, the robber’s mother. ” Why the hell did this guy have a gun?” I can understand her grief and confusion about what transpired, but she asked the wrong question. Her question needs a little editing.
      “Why the hell did my son threaten innocent people with a gun?” Wait, she already had the excuses, “He wasn’t going to hurt anyone…he fell on hard times…he had to provide for his infant son”

      Maybe a better question would be, “Why in Hell did I fail to teach him that robbing innocent people was a bad thing?”

    • Frank Dilatush November 11, 2016, 6:31 am

      Yes, it was an armed robbery and Mr Grace had a firearm in his hand when he was shot. http://wncn.com/2016/10/30/nc-pizza-hut-worker-uses-own-gun-to-kill-armed-robber-police-say/

      Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

    • dan November 11, 2016, 6:38 am

      I agree. We don’t know the details, but a person has the right to protect themselves and property. If the guy had a gun or any weapon, and for that matter, you don’t know if he has one or not. All that needs to be proved is aggression, and by committing an attempted robbery, that is agression, one is forcing ones will on another in a hostile manner. We can sedan guess, but I have to say at this point without data we can’t judge, I understand their loss and hurt they are feeling. But he was in the process of committing a crime. I see hypocrisy in the statement that taking a life is the responsibility of law enforcement. I dis-agree, someone threatens my life or family I have the right to protect myself, period, and if that requires deadly force then so be it.

    • Jay November 11, 2016, 6:41 am

      Other new story about this robbery stated he was armed. Sorry, Mom and Dad, but he got what he deserved. Period.

    • Jim November 11, 2016, 6:49 am

      Turns out the robber was carrying, and, presumably, brandishing a gun.

      http://headdownnews.com/news/son-rights-armed-robbers-family-angry-pizza-hut-employee-shot-son/

      • DRAINO November 11, 2016, 8:46 am

        That being the case then…..He got what he was asking for. Their ignorance is the pinnacle of the sadness in this situation. I could think of a lot of other questions I would be asking in their situation.

  • Jack Snodgrass November 9, 2016, 11:26 am

    This guy got exactly what he deserved and any parent who can in anyway defend his actions or those of the employee are ignorant and were incompetent parents.

  • Will Drider November 9, 2016, 12:31 am

    The bad guys expected a easy gun-free zone target. Food chain policy says it, if in fact he worked there at some prior time, he also would have known their was no “shop gun”. Mom also find fault with a defensive gun in a gun-free zone. SURPRISE, people do carry concealed firearms in gun free zones! If your not commiting a crime, you have a inherent right to protect your life, if you are committing a crime you do not.
    Mom can spin it all she wants, but there is no justification for her sons actions.
    Head shot under stress: Good shooting!

  • BigTom November 8, 2016, 11:02 pm

    This is why the criminals have more rights than the victims. It is time for the courts to stop hearing frivolous law suits in which a crime has been committed. Is like the guy that robs your house but trips on a loose step going out and is able to sue the homeowner for a faulty floor in need of repair. Any one that commits a crime and something happens while in the process, should therefore loose all rights to sue for liability of committing such crime, regardless of the future outcome. I’m sorry for the loss but by having a weapon while committing a crime will suggest to anyone that your life is in imminent danger. Some of us train ahead of time to deal with such situations. Having a gun on the premises whether allow by the company or not does not take that individual’s right to his second amendment rights to defend himself. The company therefore should not be liable for any lawsuits and the only outcome here should be to fire the worker if he violated company policy but he should not be liable to have been put in a situation to defend his life.

  • Cawoonache November 8, 2016, 4:49 pm

    If you brandish a weapon in the commission of a crime, you imply by your actions that you are willing to use it. That alone is enough to justify having your criminal head blown off. Sorry, mom and dad. If you had raised an honest son, instead of a violent criminal, he would be alive today.

  • Barry November 8, 2016, 3:16 pm

    I see stupid people.

  • SouthTexasConfused November 8, 2016, 2:24 pm

    Wait, let me get this straight, are they saying it’s okay to rob someone “if you’re down on your luck”? He fell on hard times and that makes it okay to rob someone? Kind of a non-conventional way to look at it. If that theory was expanded exponentially, we would have crime rates through the roof. I think that the vast majority of people see idea as illogical and unethical. It’s unfortunate all the way around.

    • IYearn4nARnCali November 8, 2016, 6:39 pm

      Isn’t the logic of it just……incredible?

      Had the cops shot him, they would argue the same thing, that they KNOW he wasn’t a threat, hard times, newborn baby, responsibilities, yadda yadda yadda.

      Life is hard when you can’t afford to have children, it’s hard when you can afford children, life is hard, what makes it easier is the pride of having worked your hardest to help others, to make that pizza, to provide your best work to an employer; to EARN your money instead of stealing it from people who did.

      You can always see the stupid in people when they argue from an indefensible position, very sorry for the loss of your wonderful son, Mr. and Mrs. Grace, but he committed a crime and put the lives of hard working people at risk of loss by being “non-violent” in your opinion, and now he’s dead because of HIS actions. You play a man’s game you PAY a man’s price.

  • Darvo November 8, 2016, 12:16 pm

    Dancing with the devil can be hazardous to your health!

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